Then Came You
by Mrs. Witter
Summary: ParisJess. Spinoff from Whatever Tomorrow Brings. Can two people so different, find themselves in each other?
1. Chapter 1: Different Worlds

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own 'em.

Rating: R

Pairing: Paris/Jess

Author's Ramblings: Okay, so this is a spin-off from my Trory fic _Whatever Tomorrow Brings_. This is set right after Chapter 14 of that fic and I do suggest that you read that if you haven't already to get a better understanding. Oh and please send feedback people! It's my life! LOL

Chapter 1: Different Worlds 

Jess slammed his hand against his desk and then growled in frustration. Studying for his physics test was not going as smoothly as he planned and he blamed it on two girls – Rory Gilmore and Paris Gellar. The latter was the root of his problems and lack of concentration and the former was the culprit who had mentioned the latter's name and sent him into the stupid, can't-concentrate-or-do-anything-remotely-normal state of mind. 

He hated girls. Well, that was untrue. He actually liked girls – he liked them a lot. Whether they were blonde, brunette or redheaded. He had kissed a lot of girls, had slept with two and had a very close and caring relationship with one. 

But Rory Gilmore had been a breath of fresh air when his life had been utter hell. He still remembered the night they had met, her sparkling blue eyes and perky greeting. He had acted cool and unaffected but the truth was, he had been surprised and bowled over by her simple beauty and friendly demeanor. She was his first best, real friend who knew him inside out. Sure he had believed for a long time that he was in love with her and had actively tried to get her to return the feelings and get her away from Dean. And it had worked - for a while at least. 

But kissing Rory had changed their friendship and they had both decided that they liked being friends and he never wanted to mess that up. So she went back to Dean, as much as he advised her against it, and he returned to dating girls who only mildly interested him. He had met Nancy Lanigan at the end of tenth grade and immediately fell in love with her body. They dated for a while and he liked her fine, so he wasn't devastated when she announced that she was moving. They had spent her last night in Stars Hollow in bed – the first time for the both of them. In the morning, he kissed her and wished her a happy life.

His life went on. He knew that his mother was never going to ask him to come back and in one last ditch effort; he managed to strike a bond between him and his grumpy uncle. Of course, Rory Gilmore had been the one to egg him about it and he finally gave in. Although Luke never mentioned it, and rarely ever said it, Jess knew his uncle had grown to love him and Jess returned the feelings as well as the long overdue respect. 

Junior year arrived and he met Kathy Smith, a petite, gorgeous brunette who he had grown to care about a lot. They had slept together but the girl had turned out to be quite the deceiver and had cheated on him with the quarterback of Stars Hollow High's football team - nothing short of your average high-school teen drama. Kevin Williamson and Paul Stupin couldn't have scripted it better themselves. 

Eventually with the help of Rory, he had gotten over another female disappointing him and had moved on, dating girls but never long enough to grow too attached. Throughout it all, Rory had been his confidante, his friend and often his conscience. And everything had been fine.

Until Paris Gellar strolled into his life.

The first time he had seen her was at the dinner at Lorelai's inn when he had first moved to Stars Hollow but he had been too caught up in the drastic change in his life to notice her. Rory had mentioned her on again, off again friendship with the dirty blonde but Jess had simply been amused. Seeing Paris at Rory's a few days ago – really seeing her, for the first time had thrown him more than he could have known.

Paris Gellar was not a supermodel like Kathy or Nancy. And she didn't have Rory's fresh beauty. But her wide brown eyes, modest clothes and nervous habits had somehow stirred something more deeply in Jess than any other girl he knew. He was attracted to her, although he didn't know why. Somehow he knew, that there was something in Paris that people skipped over – something like a hidden treasure that only the person with the map could discover. 

He felt like he had the map.

Jess was an observer by nature, noticing things about people that they were probably unaware of themselves. Rory told him that it was a gift. Luke respected his uncanny ability. Even Lorelai begrudgingly admitted that he was one of the most perceptive people she knew. And he had noticed Paris Gellar's mesmerizing brown eyes, shy smile, blithering speech patterns and hot determination to get whatever it was she wanted.

Grumbling, Jess ran a hand through his hair and flopped down on his bed, throwing an arm over his eyes and wondering when it was he became so messed up that he could barely think about anything else but some stupid girl with pretty eyes.

At first, he told Rory and himself that the only reason he wanted Paris was to see if he could bed her. From what the brunette had told him about the object of his desire, Paris Gellar had a one-track mind about Harvard and getting there. She did little else than study and Rory had often complained that Paris was like a robot and had a very large stick shoved up her butt. When Jess had seen Paris, he challenged himself to mess up with her oh-so-perfectly planned out life.

He turned to his side and stared at the wall, wondering why his uncle had to paint it such a bleak, dull, cream color.

But his date with her had changed everything. The two of them lived in separate worlds and he was given his much needed reality check.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

"Paris Olivia Gellar!" a woman screamed from the bottom of the stairwell. Paris scowled at her mother's voice. Angrily, the dirty blonde slammed her English textbook close and stalked out of her room. She marched to the top of the stairs and glared at her mother. The older woman, dressed in a jungle green evening gown looked at her daughter disapprovingly. "You're not dressed!"

"I told you I'm not coming," Paris returned darkly.

Renee Gellar shook her head in disappointment and hooked her gold earring to her lobe. Her face reddened and she huffed. "Fine, don't come. You have pathetic social skills and they're never going to improve if you don't socialize. But if all you want to do is sit in this house by yourself and mope, then be my guest."

"It's my life!" Paris yelled as she came down the stairs. "And maybe I don't want people skills. Maybe I want to stay here and focus on more important things like an education. Lord knows we all can't be like you, Mother!"

Renee's eyes widened and she was about to lift her hand and strike her daughter. Paris flinched and waited for her mother's hand across her cheek, but it never came as the blonde controlled her anger and merely glared furiously at her daughter. "Do whatever it is you want, Paris. I'm sick and tired of you and your life."

As her mother walked away, Paris controlled her emotions just like she had been taught to. Her face was red and her scowl darkened but this mask was just concealing what was inside. What she really wanted to do was scream, thrown something and then run up to her room and cry until she fell asleep.

But she wasn't raised to do that. And Paris Gellar didn't cry. Not for anyone.

Taking in a few deep breaths and steeled her nerves. Slowly, she made her way back to her room and sat down at her desk. But instead of opening her book and finishing her homework, she stared at the cover and let her thoughts drift to a certain dark-haired boy that had walked into her life a few days ago.

She hated the way she felt around Jess because it made her think about all her shortcomings and inexperience around the opposite sex. She had spent six disastrous years hopelessly infatuated with Tristan DuGrey and all of it had ended ugly. Outside, she blamed Rory but deep down she knew that the other girl only had the purest intentions at heart.

Of course, Rory Gilmore was perfect. She had the perfect mother, perfect friends, perfect boyfriend and perfect little life right in the heart of Stars Hollow. The whole quirky town worshipped her and it seemed like she could do no wrong. To top everything off, Rory was just one of those people that you hated to like and respect and admire.

So naturally Paris focused on the hate when Rory first enrolled in Chilton and the whole Tristan/PJ Harvey debacle gave her more fuel to add to the blazing, envious fire. But Rory had a tendency to use an extinguisher and quell Paris' hate with a simple witty remark or kind gesture, like helping her with her date with Tristan and the Bracebridge Dinner. But throughout it all, Paris had kept her distance not letting her in completely – to avoid the risk of getting hurt.

After all, it was the way she was raised. No real emotional bonds, aloof parents, no real friends and of course no boyfriend.

But she had managed. She threw herself into her schoolwork hoping to get into Harvard so she could make her parents' proud and to get their attention. That's how it had started anyway. But then she wanted to go to Harvard because she wanted to get out of her father's house and make it big in the world  - by herself. Sure, the Gellar name would probably do a lot for her chances to get in but Paris only saw that as a means to an end. She didn't care about her family name. She didn't care about her family.

Letting out a frustrated growl, she flung herself on her bed and buried her face in the pillows. But she didn't cry. Lifting her face, she stared at the phone on her side table and wondered if she would be the world's greatest loser if she called Jess.

_It's clear that he doesn't want to see you again, Gellar,_ her conscience reminded. _Not after the way he hightailed out of here. _She had replayed the night in her head a million times wondering what it was that she had done wrong that made Jess bolt so awkwardly from the mansion when he had dropped her off. _And you even wished the night would end with a kiss. One that you could dream about forever. _

Dreams were for frivolous, high school girls who were headed nowhere in life.

Maybe she wasn't Jess' type. She knew that he had been into Rory for a while. And she was sure that someone like him had dated and probably slept with a couple hundred girls already. Bad boys were always like that. What was she thinking? How was she supposed to live up to gorgeous supermodels and Rory Gilmore? 

_Hello, been there and done that with Tristan!_

Besides, even if it wasn't anything she did and even if she hadn't misinterpreted Jess' interest in her, she couldn't possibly make it work with him. She knew nothing about dating, making out and sex. Jess was experienced in all of them and he had probably already gotten tired of her.

Jess was apart of a different world and she could have no place in it. 

Not matter how badly she wanted to.

She couldn't stand the rejection or the humiliation of not being enough. Not ever again.


	2. Chapter 2: Avoidance and Rory Gilmore

Chapter 2: Avoidance and Rory Gilmore

"Close your eyes," she whispered softly in his ear and Jess smiled, loving the feel of her arms around him and her familiar scent in the air around him. "Come on baby, only a few more minutes."  
  


_"Hurry up," he said impatiently. "I want to see my present."_

_"You do this every Christmas, Jess," Liz __Mariano scolded playfully and he heard the rustling of paper. He nuzzled further into his mother's embrace and she giggled like a little child. "Sweetie, that tickles. Now open you're eyes and see what I got you."_

_Jess peeked through one eye first and then opened both. With a large smile he grabbed the large box covered in green and red wrapping paper. Giving his mother an impish grin, he tore open the paper and let out a whoop when he saw a G. I Joe action figure staring back at him through the cellophane. He threw his arms around his mother. "Thanks Mom, you're the coolest."_

_"Anything for my little man," she returned with a soft smile and ruffled his hair._

_After playing with his action figure for a minute, he looked up at his mother who was staring out the window of their small Brooklyn apartment. She had that look in her eyes – that far off, listless look. The look she got before she decided that she needed to change her life again. Jess bit his lower lip. "Mommy?"_

_"Yeah baby?"_

_"We'll always be together, right?" he asked placing his head against her shoulder._

_Sadness crept into her eyes and smile. She kissed his forehead. "Always, Jess."_

Jess woke up with a start, his eyes wide and his breathing ragged. His eyes scanned the through the darkness of his room and he sat up in his bed. Running his shaking hand through his hair, he quickly threw his comforter off his body and walked over to his desk. Turning on his lamp, he looked at the time.

3:49

Sighing and then cursing under his breath, he opened his top drawer and found a packet of cigarettes. He hadn't smoked in what seemed like ages, partly because Luke and Rory had helped him get over his addiction. After the dream he just had, he was seriously thinking of starting again. He stuck his head out of the window, taking in a few gulps of cool September air before lighting his cigarette and taking in an unhealthy drag of nicotine.  

He hadn't dreamt of his mother in ages. He'd barely spoken more than a few words to her when she called during the summer from some state he hadn't even bothered to remember. He wasn't even sure if she was in United States. 

He was no expert on dream analysis but he knew that something in his unconscious must've triggered it. Something must've happened in the past few days to make him think of his mother, even if it was in the far recesses of his mind. Disturbed and now wide-awake, he took a drag of his cigarette before extinguishing in a hidden ashtray. He made a mental note to throw it away before Luke got on his case about smelling cigarette smoke. 

When his stomach grumbled, he sighed and headed for the kitchen. The living room was dark and he had to feel his way to the fridge. He quickly flipped on the light switch near the doorway and then opened the fridge. Jess knew that he didn't have to worry about being very quiet because Luke was a sound sleeper and wouldn't know if a bulldozer passed through the neighborhood. Jess pulled out the pizza box he had stuffed into the fridge the night before, took out a slice and popped it into the microwave. 

"Jess?" Luke's sleepy voice called from the hallway. "You okay?"

As his uncle appeared near the entrance of the kitchen, Jess smiled apologetically. "Did I wake you? I was just getting something to eat."

Luke waved a dismissive hand. "You didn't wake me. And you should eat something. You barely touched your dinner last night." After a hesitant pause, Luke added. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jess' eyes widened. "Um, no."

His uncle looked relieved. "Oh okay. I'm going back to bed."

Jess pulled out the slice of pizza from the microwave and nodded. "G'night Luke."

As Luke padded back to his room, Jess bit thoughtfully into his pizza. After a minute of chewing, he headed for the phone mounted on the opposite wall and dialed a number. The voice on the other end didn't sound sleep filled so he plunged forward. "What are you reading?"

"_A Room Of One's Own_," Rory replied almost nonchalantly. 

"Interesting," he said taking another bite of his pizza. 

"Why are you awake, Jess?"

"Couldn't sleep," he answered evasively. "What about you?"

"Neither could I," she stated almost wistfully.

"The date with DuGrey was that good, huh?" he smirked as he finished his pizza and wiped his hands with a paper napkin.

"Why do you assume that if I can't sleep it has to do with a guy?" 

"Because the reason I can't sleep is because of a girl."

"Oh," she replied after a pause. He heard the rustle of papers and then some shuffling and he figured that Rory had probably put her book away and gotten into a comfortable position. He smiled a little, thankful that she was ready to listen to what he had to say at four in the morning. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm not sure." He sat down at the kitchen table and leaned his head against the wall. "I dreamt about my mom. I haven't dreamt about her in so long."

"Yeah?" Rory asked softly. "Was it happy or sad?"

"Bittersweet," he answered almost painstakingly. "It was Christmas. I was six. She was sad. If I wasn't so sure that I've never received a G.I Joe for Christmas, I would say it was more of a memory than a dream."

"I don't know what to say."

"That's okay. I didn't know what I wanted you to say when I called. I just wanted to talk to a friend. Maybe we don't have to talk about my mom."

"Ooh goody," she squealed. "We can talk about make-up."

He rolled his eyes. "Rory – "

"And boys!"

"Rory, shut up."

"I want to dye my hair…should I?"

"God, you're so annoying."

"Thank you," she replied saucily. Her next words were more serious. "How about we talk about Paris?"

He propped his feet on the table and sighed. "How about we don't and say we did?"

"You can't keep avoiding me on this subject, Jess. I know something major happened between the two of you and because of that, Paris – who I was getting a long with just fine this year, is avoiding me again. Between the two of you, I'm starting to feel very unwanted," she ranted.

"I'm sure DuGrey makes up for the lack of attention you receive," Jess stated, hoping that he could veer the conversation away from his love life, or lack thereof. "I'm sure I saw the two of you in the gazebo last night. It was very _The Sound Of Music_ like. I was waiting for it to rain."

"Very smooth," she stated unaffected by his humor. "You're not turning this phone conversation around, Jess. You like Paris. I know you do. And Jess Mariano doesn't stop until he gets the girl. I know from experience. So please, just talk to me."

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a groan. He hated it when she cornered him with logic. He hated that she could make him want to tell her all his problems. "We're too different."

"That's lame. Even for you."

"You don't get it, Rory. It won't work. You're right. She's too set in her ways and she has a lot of dreams she needs to achieve. She doesn't need me messing that up for her," he explained resting his elbow on the tabletop. "She's going to Harvard and I'm not even sure what I want to do once I graduate. She's caviar and champagne and I'm French fries and Coke."

"Very interesting analogy."

"You know what I mean," he sighed and walked over to the fridge. He opened it and pulled out the milk carton. "It's too complicated and she doesn't need that."

"Oh so this is all about her, is it?" she asked sounding almost condescending. "This has nothing to do with the fact that you actually like the girl a lot and what it means for you, right?"

Jess was suddenly very uncomfortable with where the conversation was headed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Rory let out a labored sigh. "Figure it out for yourself, Jess. And then talk to her. Soon."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

Paris Gellar was good at avoiding things, people and feelings. In fact, she was pretty sure that she excelled in it. 

All her life she had easily avoided her parents' when they were fighting; she had turned a deaf ear to the moans of pleasure that emitted from one of her parents' rooms when they were 'entertaining' guests and she was very good at avoiding her friends' nosy questions and contemplative glances.

But somehow, she was starting to successfully avoid the memories of her disastrous date with Jess Mariano. And all the feelings of failure they brought with them.

She sighed as she maneuvered her car through early morning traffic and replayed the most memorable aspects of her first and most likely last date with Jess.

"So what is it about Harvard that has you and Rory so gag-gah over it?" Jess asked as they walked through the dimly lit park near her house in Hartford. "Why not Princeton or Yale or those other ridiculously expensive schools?" 

"Generations of Gellars have attended Harvard," Paris replied with a small shrug. "It's tradition, I guess. Harvard is a great school. Besides, I'm not sure my father would be very pleased if I went to Yale."

_"So you're going to Harvard because your family wants you to?" he asked after a pause._

_"That's how it started off," she found herself answering truthfully. "It's something more to me now. I can get out of my parent's house for one thing and it's something I need to do to feel like…I'm sorry, I'm not making any sense am I?"_

_He smiled. "You're making complete sense. Hey, if anyone understands the need to get away from family, it's me."_

_She turned her head sideways and gave him a half smile. "I sense that about you. So what's the deal with you living with your uncle?"_

_Jess let out a sigh and she could tell he didn't want to go into too much detail. "My mother didn't want me. She sent me to him. The rest is pretty much history. But let's not talk about me, okay? I'd much rather try to piece together the mystery that is Paris Gellar."_

_She was glad that the darkness hid her blush. Summoning the self-confidence she had worked hard on she merely smiled. "Where do you want to start?"_

Paris shook her head as Chilton appeared in front of her and cleared her thoughts of anything that had to do with Jess. As she hopped out of her car and slung her backpack over her shoulder, Louise and Madeline showed up behind her. 

"Who's this guy you're seeing?" Louise asked upfront. 

Paris walked past them, towards the main building. "I'm not seeing anyone."

"That's not what Sally Hilton said," Madeline chirped as they followed her. "Come on, we've been friends forever Paris. Just give us his name."

"I can't," the blonde replied as she reached her locker. "Because I'm not seeing him."

"Then what were you doing with Tristan, Rory, her friend Lane and Henry at Mercury? And how was the dark-haired guy you were dancing with to Van Morrison?" Louise grilled, raising a perfect eyebrow. "Paris, darling, are you slumming?"

Paris slammed her locker shut, scowled and fixed Louise with a menacing glare. "He was no one. We're not seeing each other. And I don't want to talk about him."

"Why not?" Rory said as she showed up behind her and smiled sweetly. "Hey Louise, Madeline. You guys trying to get the 411 on Paris' guy?"

Paris set her teeth and now fixed her glare on the brunette. "Jess is not my guy."

"Ooh, Jess," Madeline said with an excited squeal. "Sounds dangerous."

Louise smirked amused. "Dangerous?"

"Yeah. Guys with names with one or two syllables are always dangerous." Madeline explained brightly. "Jess, Van, Cole, Spike, An -"

"We get the picture," Paris replied tightly hugging her textbook to her chest. "Jess is not dangerous and he's definitely not my guy."

"He wants to be," Rory piped with a smile.

Hope soared in Paris' chest, her eyes widened in surprise and her defenses fell. "He does? He told you that?"

Rory frowned. "Not in so many words. But - "

Disappointed, Paris cut her off. "Just forget it. It doesn't matter. I can't think about boys right now. Louise, Madeline don't you have to get to homeroom?"

Louise nodded bored and then veered Madeline away. "Let's go. Wouldn't want to be late."

As soon as the other two girls left, Paris turned to face Rory swiftly. "Please don't talk about Jess in front of them. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you don't ever mention him to me again. Ever."

The other girl furrowed her eyebrows together. "Why not?"

Paris sighed. "Look, it just won't work. We're too different."

She shook her head and the two started walking to their homeroom class together. "That's what he said. But I didn't believe him and I don't believe you. Just talk to him, Paris."

She sighed and pulled open the door of the classroom. "I don't think he wants to talk to me. Not after the way he bolted out of my house last night."

Rory's next words were cut off by the sound of the bell and Paris was glad that she didn't have to talk about Jess Mariano anymore. She just wished she could stop thinking about him.


	3. Chapter 3: Desire

_Thank you everyone who reviewed! Means a lot!_

Chapter 3: Desire

He was going to do this. 

He was going to walk across the distance between Luke's truck and the huge double oak doors of Paris Gellar's mansion and ring the doorbell. He was going to do that as soon as he overcame this insane urge to get back into his uncle's beat up truck and drive out of Hartford as fast as he could. Paris was just a girl and he was just trying to make things right. He could do it. 

Jess Mariano was a lot of things. A coward wasn't one of them.

Clenching and unclenching his fists, he stalked over to the door and pressed the bell firmly. The door swung open and revealed a young Latino woman. He gave her a half smile and introduced himself. "I'm Jess. Is Paris home?"

The woman smiled and ushered him in. "Senorita Paris is in her room. Wait here senor and I will go get her."

Jess nodded and watched the maid climb up the winded staircase to the top floor. When she was out of sight, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. There was no turning back now. Paris was just another girl and he was going to explain his behavior the night before and leave, hoping she didn't think he was a total jackass.

He wondered why he cared what she thought at all.

Before he could follow that train of thought for too long, a voice jolted him out of his reverie and he found himself staring at a curious, artificially done up blonde woman in a bright, eye blinding suit. "Hello. I'm Renee Gellar. I usually have the produce delivered from the kitchen - "

Jess wanted to scoff at the woman's presumptuousness but merely gave her a small, polite smile. "I'm not the produce guy."

"Oh," she said looking flustered. "You must be that new gardener that Mar - "

"He's not the gardener, Mother," Paris' voice floated in the room and Jess turned around to see her coming down the stairs, still dressed in her Chilton uniform. She came to stand in front of her mother, beside Jess and gave him a smile. "He's a friend. Excuse me, I have a guest."

Jess could see that Renee was shocked and somewhat disgusted that her daughter was hanging around a guy who obviously looked like the help to her and tried to hide his grin. He always got a kick out of making somebody so arrogant squirm but he knew that if he wanted to smooth things with Paris, he couldn't start in on her mother. Although from the look in her eyes, he could tell she probably wouldn't mind 

After a minute Renee, who looking like she was going to cause scene, left the two teenagers alone. Jess turned to Paris, hands in the pockets of his jeans and his eyebrows raised expectantly. "Hey."

"We can go into my Dad's study," she replied shortly, walked across the foyer and opened a door to the right. 

He sighed, knowing that this conversation wasn't going to start off well. Once he entered the quintessential study of a rich man – one with dark, heavy drapes, a small fireplace, books walled up a long the shelf and a mahogany desk he turned to her knowing that with Paris, he had to get straight to the point. "We need to talk."

She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him with indifference. "That's what I thought we were going to do. Hence the purpose of this visit, right Jess? You came here to tell me something. Or did you just want to bolt out of here again without an explanation?"

He took in a deep breath. "Okay, maybe I deserve that. But I came here to apologize."

"For what?" she asked curiously. 

"For cutting our date short, for running out of here and for hurting your feelings."

"What makes you think you hurt my feelings?" she asked angrily. "What makes you think you have any effect on my feelings? That's awfully arrogant of you. Because you didn't hurt my feelings you just…you made me mad."

"Well anger is a feeling you know," he quipped. When she shot daggers at him, he held up in hands in a gesture of peace. "Look, I'm sorry. It was wrong to run out like that. I'm not really sure why I did."

After a minute she uncrossed her arms and lifted her shoulders in a careless shrug. "Apology accepted. Is that all you wanted?"

"Why are you making this so hard?" he asked with a frustrated sigh.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to inconvenience you. Maybe you should find someone who'll be a little easier on you, okay? If you really don't have anything more to say then please leave. I have a lot of studying to do." She looked at him her eyes betraying nothing and her jaw set determined. 

He almost growled at her inability to understand how uncomfortable he was around her but caught himself before he said anything stupid. Instead, he looked at her evenly hoping that he could get through her without being chewed out. "Right, you have to study. You have places to go, Paris. You're very set in that path to Harvard, right?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" she asked irritated. 

"A lot. I'm not sure what I want to do after I graduate. I don't think that far ahead  - it tends to make me depressed," he explained and closed the distance between them, standing face to face so that he could see the different emotions flickering in her eyes. "But you – you're set for life. We're that different, Paris. Your mother thought I was the help!"

"I really don't care what my mother thinks," she interjected.

He ignored that and got to his point. "And I think that maybe we were headed toward this thing, whatever it is, without thinking. It doesn't change the fact that I like you. But maybe you're not ready for the kind of relationship I have in mind."

She nodded slowly. "Oh so you're doing this for me. Well thanks, Jess. It's really sweet of you. But I can take care of myself very well. In fact, I knew exactly what it was I was getting myself into when went out yesterday."

He let his voice go down a notch when he saw the flicker of fire in her chocolate brown pools. "You did?"

Her gaze wavered from his eyes to his lips for a fraction of a second and he smirked when he heard her breath catch in her throat. He searched her wide eyes and then reached up to push a wayward strand of hair of her cheek. Letting his knuckles graze lightly across the soft skin of her cheek. Unconsciously, she licked her bottom lip and he felt the desire to kiss her shoot through him. Her voice came out in a breathy whisper. "Yes, I did." 

_Really_? He studied her face, assessing how serious she was about her statement. She stared back openly, not moving but letting her eyes flit over his face in wonderment. _She wants to play with fire, does she? Well then I'm going to have to teach her that she's going to get burnt. There's no way around it._

Jess realized that his intentions had changed. He was going to show Paris what it was like to be desired and wanted. He nodded slowly, letting his hand cup the side of her face. "Okay then. Paris, I'm hoping that we - "

"If the words 'still be friends' come out of your mouth, I'm going to slug you," she warned him as he let the pad of his thumb brushed against her cheek, making her skin come alive with a pretty hue of pink. 

"I wasn't going to say that," he whispered softly, meeting her gaze. "I was going to ask you to give this another chance."

He saw the uncertainty on her face as she bit her lower lip. "Maybe I don't want to."

Jess brought his other hand to her shoulder, letting his fingers trail down the smooth column of her neck. Her eyes fluttered and her lips parted slightly, invitingly. He gave her a small, expressive smile. "I know you want me, Paris."

She opened her mouth to protest but he quickly cut of her remark by crushing his lips to hers, to demonstrate his point. Almost immediately, she melted against him, her fingers grasping the material of his shirt as he deepened the kiss. She moaned into his mouth, sending his blood rushing through his body and heart beating like a runaway train.

This is what they wanted. He just hoped that when it ended, they would both be left unscathed.  

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

Somewhere in the nether recesses of Paris' mind, she wondered when it was exactly she had fallen in lust with Jess Mariano. She wondered how she could have ever missed the lazy smile, the rugged, unkempt good looks and those penetrating eyes that seemed to regard her with just the right amount of amusement, circumspection and interest. No one looked at her like that.

She decided she could analyze everything later because right now, she was enjoying this moment in her life way too much to be thinking at all. 

_Lust feels good_, was her last thought before she returned all her attention to the kiss, letting her hands run up, over Jess' chest and then letting her fingers tangle in his hair. She'd been kissed before, but never like this. Never with so much want and desperation. It definitely wasn't the most romantic kiss but it made her weak in the knees. It was tongue, teeth and hands twining, nipping and tangling over and over again until blood was drumming in her ears and she tore her lips away, gasping for breath.

As their breathing returned to normal they remained quiet, unable to tear their gazes away and still clinging to each other. Finally, she let her hands slip from his hair, lingering over the firmness of his chest before she stopped touching him complexly taking a step away from him and clasping her hands together.

He stayed rooted in his spot, eyes watching her every move and one eyebrow cocked in amusement. His lips curled at the corner. "I told you so."

Paris' eyes narrowed dangerously and she wondered how she could go from kissing him one minute to wanting to slap him the next. "Is that why you kissed me? To prove a point?"

"No," he replied taking a step closer. She took one backwards. He smirked and took another one, trapping her between him and the wood-paneled wall beside the door. His fingers were grazing the skin near her collarbone, slipping under the fabric of her Chilton blazer and the blouse underneath. "I kissed you because I wanted to. Proving my point was just icing on the cake."

"If that's all you wanted to do then please leave," she replied, ignoring his ministrations. 

He held her gaze levelly. "Do you really want me to go?"

"I want you to stop touching me."

"Why?" His voice was low, caressing her senses.

Her breathing hitched as she felt his other hand come up between them and unhook her blazer. His fingers played with the top button her blouse and then slowly eased the material apart. Her answer came out weaker than she intended. "Because it's distracting."

"But it feels good, doesn't it?" he asked softly bringing his face closer and dropping butterfly kisses on the side of her face as one hand continued to graze across the skin above her breasts. She clenched her hands at her sides, trying to keep from clinging to him again. His lips grazed her earlobe. "What do you really want, Paris?"

She closed her eyes and her mouth moved on it's own accord. "You."

Immediately he pulled away, taking his hands away and causing her eyes to jerk open in surprise. The jerk was smiling broadly, smugly. "Great, then I'll pick you up tonight at seven."

"Wha - " she said disoriented as she followed him out of her father's study. She was not going to be coerced into a date because of her hormones. "Jess wait. I never said that I'd go out with you."

He reached the main door, turned and gave her a knowing smile. "You didn't have to. Wear something casual. Don't want you mussing up those expensive clothes."

"Jess!" her protest fell on deaf years, as he closed the door behind him, leaving her flushed from their kiss and confused about what had just happened. 

When the maid had told her that Jess had come to see her, she had made a resolve to listen to what he had to say and then ask him to leave. She never expected to make out with him in her father's study and then be cornered into a date. She hated that he seemed to make her lose control. 

Her fingers immediately came up to her swollen lips and in spite of herself she smiled. Kissing Jess felt extremely good and if they were going to go on a date again the there would be a lot more of it, if she could help it. Her grin grew bigger as she sighed dreamily and headed to her room again. She wasn't one to get caught up in the romance of a new relationship but her elation couldn't be helped. She wasn't one to get carried away and think of making out with boys all night long either but she suspected that Jess Mariano would have the effect on any girl with a pulse. 

For the first time in her life, Paris Gellar felt desirable – and she loved it.


	4. Chapter 4: Dizzy

Chapter 4: Dizzy 

"This is silly," Paris stated as Jess covered her eyes with his hands and walked behind her. But she wasn't going to complain about how it felt to feel him pressed up behind her and have him touching her. "Jess, you don't need to be so secretive. I can hear the screaming and the music. We must be in some sort of outdoor mall. What are they called? Flea Markets?"

"Oh man, you are so off," he stated with a laugh. "And a Flea Market?"

"Then please take your hands off my eyes."

"Okay, we're at there." He slowly removed his hands and she immediately opened her eyes.

"A carnival?" she asked standing at the entrance gate of one of those one-week, moving, caravan carnivals. She tried hard to avoid the brightly colored clown on stilts, trying to get her attention by talking in a goofy voice and making poodles with those weird long balloons. "You bought me to a carnival?"

"You sound surprised," Jess stated from beside her, pocketing his hands in his jeans. "And like you've never seen a carnival in person before."

Paris didn't meet his gaze when she answered. "I haven't."

His brows lifted in astonishment. "You've never been to a carnival?"

"No I haven't."

"Huh," he said, then shrugged and reached out for her hand. "Then it's a good thing I brought you here while we're still young enough to ride those roller coasters and not have a heart attack."

Relief soared through her because he didn't ask why she hadn't been to one before. _Because I don't have times for carnivals and fun_ - would have been her trademark reply. She didn't want Jess to think she was a total loser. Tentatively she took his hand and then smiled when he twined their fingers together and pulled her into the noisy crowd. "Yeah, it's a good thing." 

They weaved their way through the crowd and stopped in front of some rides and stalls, music blaring, people screaming and children laughing. Paris quelled the urge to put her hands over her ears. Jess grinned at her nervous expression and spoke loudly so she could hear him over the blaring music. "Pick a ride."

"What?" she asked looking around overwhelmed. "No, I wouldn't know which one."

"C'mon, just pick. Most of them are great."

She nodded and pointed to what looked like the most dizzying ride. "The Tilt-a-Whirl."

He pulled her towards the line, a huge grin on his face. "You're a wild child."

In a few minutes, they were securely buckled in and he was squeezing her hand in reassurance. Apprehension dawned on her as butterflies began to spread their wings in her stomach. Wide-eyed, she glanced sideways at him and narrowed her eyes. "If I die, I'm holding you responsible!"

"You're not going to die," he answered with a laugh. "You might feel a little funny in the head though. And you might have trouble walking in a straight line but as long as we don't have to pass any police, drunk driving test – you'll be fine."

Before she could retort the world started moving.

At first, things were just spinning slowly and she could see the people standing in line waiting smiling up at her, amusement in their eyes. She gripped the supporting safety bar on her shoulder and closed her eyes briefly. She felt the air whip around her and the screaming and shouts of laughter. Her stomach started churning and she opened her eyes again to find the faces were just a big blur of eyes and noses and wild hair.

A scream escaped her lips.

And despite the runaway train pounding through her system she managed to laugh. Then all at once, she was laughing and screaming and fighting the fuzzy feeling in her stomach and in her head.

Sooner than she would've liked, the ride started slowing down and her surroundings became clear again; colors solid and people recognizable. The safety bars lifted off her shoulders and she immediately glanced at Jess, who was grinning at her wildly – his hair tousled and his face flushed slightly. 

She wanted to kiss him. She blamed the adrenaline. 

Without saying a word, they exited the ride and ended up in the middle of the noise again. It was her turn to raise an expectant eyebrow. "So, it's your turn."

"Any preferences?"

"Something dizzy."

"I have just the thing," he answered and then pulled her through the multitude of people like an enthusiastic child, hyped up on too much sugar. She just followed holding in barely controlled laughter.

After a three other rides that were just as fast and fun as the first one, they went on the Tilt-a-Whirl once more before stopping for refreshments. He bought soda, a soft pretzel which he insisted that they eat with loads of mustard and cotton candy that kept sticking to the roof of her mouth and making her want to giggle like a little child.

As she took the final swig of her soda and threw it into a nearby trashcan, he was looking at her with that mischievous, sinful gleam in his eye. "What? You still want to sit on a rides?"

"Of course, we've only been on the dizzying rides."

She wiped the side of her mouth and looked around. "What else is fun?"

His lips curved into a wide smile and he reached for her hand again. "Bumper cars."

She linked her hand with his, still loving the feel of them clasped together, and smiled back. "I'm a very good driver."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

Paris grabbed his hand as they stepped off of the Tilt-a-Whirl (on her insistence) for the third time that evening. He looked at her concerned ah she hunched over clutching her stomach. "I think I'm going to - "

His eyes widened as he realized that she looked pale and ready to throw up. He looked around quickly for a bench. Finding one, he led her there and she sat down, moaning lightly and he was sure that he heard his name and the word 'idiot' in the same sentence. Relieved that she was sarcastic again, he sat down beside her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe you shouldn't have had all that mustard."

She glared at him threw lowered lashes. "You think so, huh?"

He smirked at her murderous expression and spoke carefully. "Maybe we should stick with stuff that keeps our feet on the ground at all times."

A wavy smile shone through her pain. "I really wanted to see if I could get those rings around that metal rod."

He nodded and stood up. "The Hoop-La it is."

Paris clutched her stomach, steadied herself and then stood up slowly. When they reached the booth, he watched with amusement as she handed over two dollars for five rings, mumbling about a rip-off. Then with the determination of a pit-bull, she tossed the first ring hopelessly towards the awaiting rod. It clunked against it and hit the ground.

"Four more left," the woman manning the booth, stated amused.

"I can count," Paris shot back. "But thank you for the heads-up."

Jess smirked at the older woman. "You're disrupting her concentration."

Paris took in a deep breath and threw the next one. This one followed its predecessor, and lay next to it on the ground.

He came to stand behind her and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. In the process he caught the scent of her shampoo – fresh, fruity and just as simple as she was. Sensations swan in his head. "Relax, Paris. Don't try so hard."

She guided her hand, just as strongly this time, just with more ease and precision. The ring circled the rod, before plopping down unceremoniously. A perfect landing. She let out an uncharacteristic squeal and then composed herself for the next throw.

The next two landed atop the third one.

Paris let out cheerful, enthusiastic whoop of joy and turned around, throwing her arms around his in a victory hug. He returned it chuckling, liking how she pressed up against him – catching him by surprise. 

"You get to pick your animal," the booth woman deadpanned.  

Paris turned to her. "Excuse me?"

"Anything from up there." This time the woman hitched her thumb to be clearer.

After a few minutes of deliberation, she pointed out a big, beige colored dog with big plastic eyes and a hopeful, goofy smile. Surprised at her choice he grinned at the dog in her hand. "Nice choice."

"Glad you like it," she answered evenly and then held the stuffed toy out to him. "It's yours."

He blinked twice. "What?"

"You know how guys are always winning things for girls?" she asked rhetorically as she thrust the silly animal into his face again. "Well - I won this for you."

Because of the look in her eyes and because it touched him, he took the dog. "Thanks. But why the dog?"

"Because it reminds me of you."

He guffawed. "I have puppy dog eyes?

"No," she grinned. "You have a goofy smile."

Said smile bloomed on his face and he tucked the animal under his arm. Looking around, he found another booth he enjoyed and led her to it. He had made the biggest dent in his wallet up to date that night winning her shiny, glow-in-the-dark jewelry that he insisted she wear until she went to bed.

"So, you tired?"

"A little," she admitted. "But I really wanna go on one more ride."

"Sure, just as long as it's not the Tilt-a-Whirl."

"It's right behind you."

He turned around, looked heavenward and then swallowed. "The Ferris Wheel."

"Isn't it some unwritten rule that you have to ride the Ferris wheel when you're at a carnival?" she asked as she pulled him into the quickly moving line.

"I don't really follow too many rules," he answered uncomfortable.

When the got into their car, and were locked in secured, she took his stuffed animal and he checked the steel bar once again, giving it a firm shake. She looked at him oddly and then her eyes widened and she started smiling. "You're afraid of heights!"

"What? No! Of course not!"

She chose to ignore him. The Wheel lurched forward and they were quickly rising in the air, leaving the people – and the ground below. As the Wheel started getting faster he unconsciously gripped her hand and Paris laughed gleefully. "Jess! Isn't this fun?!"

The butterflies in his stomach danced and he willed himself not to look down. "Yeah. A riot."

She leaned in a bit and whispered his words from earlier. "Just relax."

He tried, for her sake and his sanity.

Then the Wheel stopped and he was stuck at the very top. "What the hell?"

"They're letting people off from the bottom," she supplied and leaned back against the car, making the seat rock. "Don't look down and enjoy the view."

"Oh that's just so clichéd," he protested as his eyes settled on his surroundings. Of course, she was right. The view was nice. The moon shone above, stars twinkled, soft music and faint shouts of laughter could be heard as lights twinkled and flashed below. It was right out a movie. But that didn't mean the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach had settled.

"Its' so different. It's so…free up here. Away from the world but not too far. Like living on a cloud."

He grinned. "Didn't know you were a poet."

She rolled her eyes but then smiled back sweetly. "Didn't know you were a scaredy cat."

"I'm not scared. I just don't like the whole plunging head first to your death," he explained rationally.

"You sat on all those other rides," she pointed out, arching an eyebrow.

"They weren't so high up."

She smiled softly, hooking her arm with his. "I should have known."

He studied her face, the moonlight bouncing off the soft planes and curves and lighting in her eyes. She looked different to him up here, without the pressure of society or school dragging her down, without other people around making her rigid and tense as if one word could maim her reputation or personality. She looked carefree. Normal. Uninhibited. Beautiful.

"You should do that more."

She looked at him, curious. "What?"

"Smile."

In the dim light, he could still see her faint. Charmed he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers, like he had wanted to all evening. The slightest touch, the softest nip from her part has heat coursing through him and his head spinning with desire.

The ride lurched forward and he deepened the kiss. 


	5. Chapter 5: Passion

Chapter 5: Passion

Paris wanted to skip classes. Nothing seemed to interest her suddenly. History was a bunch of wars with names that made no sense. Calculus was giving her a headache. English didn't sound like the language she was used to speaking. 

And worst of all, it didn't matter to her that her thoughts kept drifting and her attention was waning.

All she could think about was the way Jess had kissed her while they were suspended in the air on the Ferris wheel. He hadn't kissed her goodnight when he dropped her off but she didn't mind – too much. She had that one kiss to get her through the night and most of her classes in the day.

His lips had been soft against hers, not like the first time when they were demanding and hot. This kiss had meant something more than proving a point. His roughened fingers brushed gently across her cheek while one hand tugged lightly at her hair.

She heard bells. 

No, that was dismissal. 

"Your assignment is due tomorrow," her physics teacher reminded as the class started to file out, chattering amongst themselves. She looked around sheepishly, glad that neither Louise nor Madeline were in her last period class to have witnessed how inattentive she had been.

At her locker however, her two oldest friends flogged her on each side, brows raised in anticipation and a hint amusement in their eyes. She decided to ignore them and continued emptying her bag. 

Louise, of course was the first one to speak. "How are you today, Paris?"

"You asked me that this morning," Paris reminded her, not looking up.

"Yes but so much can happen between now and then," she shot back. 

"Or last night," Madeline chimed in. 

"If it happened last night I would have told you this morning when you asked me," Paris replied elusively as she shut her locker and slung her bag over her shoulder. Her two friends blocked her path, looking unconvinced. "Move."

"Tell us where you were last night," Louise challenged. 

Paris glared at the blonde and then the brunette before making her way around them, walking fast in hopes of getting away. Of course, they followed.

"We have ways of finding out," Madeline stated from behind.

"Good. I hope you plan on working for the CIA."

"Were you hanging out with Rory?" Louise guessed as they exited the building.

Ah, a cop out. Why didn't she think about it before? "Yes, I was with Rory."

"Nope. She was on a date with Tristan," Madeline informed.

Louise feigned hurt. "Paris, you lied to us." 

"I'm sure you'll heal," she retorted as she headed for the parking lot. She located her car and then turned around. Louise and Madeline were still there. "What? Are you going to follow me home?" 

"I don't have anything to do," Louise shrugged.

"We have no lives," the brunette confirmed with a sweet smile. 

"You're pathetic," Paris huffed, her hands on her hips.

"And you've been daydreaming all day. What we'd like to know is that why you, Paris Gellar – whose only ambition in life is to go to Harvard and then rule the entire free world – is suddenly…off in her own little world?" Louise asked curiously. 

"You went out with him again, didn't you?" Madeline stated without hesitation. 

"Who?" she asked innocently. 

"You know _him_."

Louise clarified. "Dark, messy hair, a full luscious mouth that's twisted in a semi-smirk, penetrating brown eyes, jeans, an army T-shirt under a navy blue one with those little name tags embroidered at the side. Even in those horrid clothes, he's sexy."

Madeline's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and awe. "Wow, that was descriptive."

"It was easy," Louise hitched her head, looking over Paris' shoulder. "He's standing right there."

Paris immediately whipped around to see Jess looking completely out of place as he leaned against his Uncle's beat-up truck, hands in pockets, laughing silently at the entire scene in front of him. When he caught her gaze, he merely raised an eyebrow and widened his smirk into smile. 

"Is that Mr. Dangerous?" 

"Jess is not dangerous," Paris said over her shoulder, but her response lacked the edge that she intended. Quickly she turned around to avoid looking at him and opened her car door, depositing her bag on the driver's seat. Her thoughts were jumbled. _Why is he here?_

"So you _are _dating him," Madeline concluded. "Are you sleeping with him?"

"Madeline!" Paris warned harshly.

"Yeah, that didn't sound like you." 

"If you're not doing him," Louise said she continued to stare at Jess from across the courtyard with frank female appreciation. "Can I?"

Paris slammed her car door shut and narrowed her eyes irritably. "He doesn't like bottle blondes."

Louise simply smirked. "Ooh lust makes you bitchy."

Her eyes widened wondering if her feelings were so blatant. But she remained defensive. "It's not like that." _Liar, liar, pants on fire_…

"You're female, you're hot-blooded and as far as I know you like boys," Louise announced. "And that guy over there…he's making you feel all kinds of lust."

"What are you doing still standing here talking to us?" Madeline asked as she pushed Paris away from her car. "Go and ask him what he wants. Although, I'll give you three guesses..."

"Are you sure?" Paris asked nervously. "I mean, what if he's here to pick up Rory?"

"Rory has Tristan to drop her home now."

"Yeah but Tristan lives so far away," she argued uselessly.

"Paris, darling. Never keep a man waiting too long. Their attention spans are about this much." Louise demonstrated by holding her thumb and index finger a half an inch apart. "Now go. And call me later with details."

"Fine," Paris said with a sigh. She straightened herself out, squared her shoulders and forced her feet to move. When she drew close, Jess pushed off the truck and took his hands out his pockets. "Hi Jess."

"Hey Paris. So you go here."

She looked over at Chilton. "Yes."

"Preppy."

"It's a prep school," she replied dryly. "And what you meant was arrogant."

"Do you deny it?" he challenged.

Her lips twisted into a reluctantly smile. "No."

"Jess! What are you doing here?" Rory asked suddenly showed up behind him before either one of them could say anything else. Her brow was furrowed in worry. "Is everything okay?"

"Rory," Jess stated blandly. "I was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd stop by check Chilton out for myself."

He's just stopping by to see the school Rory goes to, she thought to herself. He's not here for you. 

"But you've seen if before," Rory reminded him.

Paris looked up to see him look guilty for just a second before her nodded at her impassively. "I forgot how it looked." 

"Right," Rory smirked slightly and Paris couldn't help but flush a little. "I'll see you two later." 

When she left, Jess turned to Paris again and started to smile a little, looking uncomfortable. "She really knows how to put someone on the spot, doesn't she?"

She nodded. "It's always the quiet ones."

He ran a hand through his hair and looked like he was thinking of how to express himself. "Have you ever played laser tag?"

"Excuse me?"

He nodded slowly and then clarified. "I thought that you might not have. See there's this great place a good twenty minutes from here…it's an arcade. I was wondering if you'd like to come with me."

"Right now?" she asked, still trying to figure out what he was trying to do.

"Yes," he grinned. "Now would be good. Luke's having dinner with Lorelai's parents tonight and he's pretty ticked off about it and he ordered me to take the night shift at the diner. So my plans for dinner and a movie are kinda out the proverbial window."

"We were going to go for dinner and a movie?" she asked pleased.

"Were being the operative word," he shook his head a little. "So? What do you say?"

She looked down at her uniform and frowned. "I'll need to change."

"I figured you'd say that. We'll stop by your place first."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

"Your lack of uneasiness with a gun scares me," Jess quipped as the handed back their laser tag gear to the assistant. "And your aim. Is there something I should know?"

She shook her head. "There's an annual Archery competition at the Country Club. My mother used to make me participate."

"Why is it like that with you?" he asked curiously as they exited the arcade. She stared at him confused. "Why do you do things that your mother makes you do? Or Chilton makes you do."

"Because it's required," she said defensively.

"With your mother?"

"It's complicated," she replied shortly.

"Then explain it to me," he stated evenly.

"Why are you so keen on knowing?" she asked as they got back into his truck.

"Because it seems like to me that you are doing things to make others happy. You want to go to Harvard because everyone expects that from you, you took up archery because she wanted you to – and sounds to me like you don't even like it."

"I'm good at it."

"There's a difference between being good at something and liking it," he explained as he started the car and pulled out of the arcade's parking lot. "I mean you're a dedicated to studying, I get that but there has to be an outlet."

"An outlet for what?" she asked angrily.

"For your passion."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied distractedly and then fastened her seatbelt. "My passion lies in my ambition – in my schoolwork."

"Okay," he conceded because she looked like she was going to explode, but still remained unconvinced. "I guess that's a good passion to have."

"I know it is."

"I didn't disagree," he pointed out. Silence fell over them and he needed to find some way to break it. Suddenly, he saw a familiar restaurant and had an idea. "You hungry?"

"Starving, actually."

"Hot dogs?" he asked as he pulled into the drive-thru. 

"Are they any good?" she looked apprehensive. 

"Why don't you try one and then tell me," he suggested and then ordered two hot dogs with everything on it and two sodas. 

A few minutes later, she was bit into her bun and chewed, an expression of bliss taking over her features. "You know where to find the best food!" 

"And it doesn't even cost a lot," he agreed, amused. "Wow, you sure like food."

Her eyes widened as she looked at him. She chewed, swallowed and wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He thought of his words and realized they sounded offensive. "I mean you seem to enjoy food."

She flushed faintly. "Oh."

"Some might say you even have a passion for it."

She laughed and took a bite of her hot dog. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he glanced at her and made a resolution. He was sure that Paris Gellar was a very passionate person – he could prove it by the way she had responded to his kiss in her father's study. He would just have to try harder to tap into her zeal and spontaneity. It was something he was looking forward to.


	6. Chapter 6: Long Nights

Chapter 6: Long Nights 

"Paris!" Renee Gellar said as she stepped into her daughter's room. "What are you doing? You're not dressed!" 

Paris, who was lounging on her bed with her history textbook open in the pretense of studying, looked up curiously. "Dressed for what?"

"The dinner party!" Renee reminded her angrily. "With your father's associates! It's an important dinner that I have been talking about for the past three weeks! Don't you listen?"

"I usually try not to," she mumbled back and then sighed when Renee glared at her. She swung her legs over the bed and stood up grudgingly. "I'll be down in five minutes."

Her mother furrowed her eyebrows and searched her face, as if looking for something. "For the past few days you've been forgetting things, looking like you've been on an acid trip…my God, are you doing drugs, Paris?"

_How trite_, Paris thought as she unbraided her hair and rolled her eyes. "No, Mother." 

Sudden understanding dawned on Renee's features. "It's that boy you're so 'friendly' with. The one that looks like he needs to run a comb through his hair. The produce boy."

"You don't know what you're talking about," she retorted, giving her mother a warning death glare. "Go downstairs and do whatever it is you do and let me dress in peace."

Renee walked to the bedroom door and opened it before turning back to her. "If you're smart, you'll stay away from boys like him. Don't wear that maroon dress your father bought you for missing your last birthday. It makes you look fat."

When her mother left, Paris took a few calming breaths and the continued to get dressed for dinner party. She picked out a simple, knee length black dress – the only dress that she liked from the part of her closet her mother had labeled 'formal wear'. She would have worn the maroon one to spite her mother, but she didn't like it.  And it did make her look fat.

Her nanny came in to help her with her hair but Paris dismissed her, opting to wear it open tonight. Walking over to her dresser, she looked at what she thought was the most disgraceful make-up kit ever and pulled out lip-gloss. "Trace amounts of make-up. Long hair left untamed. A square-cut, _black_ dress. Should make Renee steam for a bit."

Smiling slightly, she exited her room just as the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of the first guest. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Hey Jess," Caesar yelled to him from the back of the storeroom. "Wouldya actually do your job and mind the register?"  

"Nobody uses the phrase 'mind the register' this side of the Atlantic," Jess called back to him, wiping his hands on the apron. Sighing, he walked out of the storeroom and to the register, staring at his feet. Without looking up, he asked the customer. "Can I help you?"

"Uh…yeah," a familiar, rough voice said.

Jess' head whipped up and he suppressed a smirk as he stared at Dean. "Yes?"

"Two coffees. Black," the taller boy, answered obviously uncomfortable. 

Amused, Jess, rung up the order. "Two, huh? And who is this mystery person who likes their coffee the same way you do?"

"No one," Dean answered, and Jess knew he was keeping his temper in check.

But he'd be damned if that didn't make him want to provoke the other boy more. "No one I know or no one important?" 

"No one that's any of your business," he answered tersely. "Where's Luke, anyway?"

"Dinner with Lorelai's parents. Them, him, her, Rory…Tristan."

Dean pursed his lips. "That's just…comfy. Thanks for the 411. But if you think that it's hurting me or making me mad, you're wrong."

Jess studied the other boy's face for a second and could see that even though, Dean flinched at the mention of Tristan's name, there was nothing but annoyance apparent on his face and impatience in his voice. The flinch was because he cared. The flinch was because Rory, his ex-girlfriend, was with a guy that he didn't like. The flinch was the first reaction Jess had when he realized that Rory was into Tristan. Jess nodded slightly. "That'll be 2.15."

Five minutes later, Dean left with a red-haired girl that Jess didn't recognize. Thinking of the particularly odd conversation he had with his long time nemesis, he realized that he'd been as ass. 

If he was going to have any more encounters like that tonight, he'd better be prepared.

Briefly he thought of Paris and what she was doing. 

He let out a labored sigh. The diner didn't look like it was going to empty any time soon. Jess stared at his watch. It was going to be a long night.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

This was ridiculous. Here she was all dressed up, standing in a corner in her own home, watching as people 'mingled' with each other, smiling and laughing with forced enthusiasm at something someone else was stupidly saying. She wanted to turn around and leave.

She looked down at the glass of champagne that she hadn't tasted in her hands and wondered if anyone would even miss her, notice that she was gone.

"Pretty dull party, huh?" a somewhat male voice said. She turned around to see a short guy who looked oddly familiar. He had russet hair; his head seemed a little too small for his body and his ears a little too big for his head. His eyes were friendly, his smile perky. He went to Chilton, she vaguely remembered. His name was…"Brad." 

Right. Debate. Business fair. Somewhat annoying. Fumbling. She managed a tight smile. "Hey."

"You look bored."

She bit her tongue to cut off the sarcastic remark. If he was going to be the only person she could talk to at this party, she wasn't going to mess it up. God, she was really desperate. "So do you."

"I'm not much for parties."

"I wouldn't have guessed."

He gave her a small, knowing smile – as if he knew that she thought he was kind of a…loser. "My parents know yours. My mother thinks it's a pity invite."

"It probably is," Paris replied without thinking. When Brad's face fell slightly, she amended. "What I meant is that I know my mother. And most of the rumors about her are true." 

"Oh okay," he said lighting up. "So you're in my physics class."

Was she? "Yeah, I am." 

"Yeah, Roberts is a real ringmaster, huh?" he said with a little laugh. When she only smiled politely, he cleared his throat and she saw that his hands were starting to shake. "I think I should check up on my mother."

As he turned to leave, Paris rolled her eyes at her own stupid need to get him to stay, put down her glass on the nearest table and called out to him. "Brad, yeah, Roberts is a jackass. Not as bad a Castillo though. I had him for chemistry last year."

Brad turned around with a goofy smile. "I heard he was bad."

Paris returned his smile and then sighed. "This is so bad."

"I can really leave," he offered.

"Not you," she stated forcefully. "This party."

"You don't want to be here." It was more of a statement than a question. When she looked at him oddly, he clarified. "It's the same look you have when you don't want to be somewhere. Like today in physics."

Her cheeks reddened and she looked at him, eyes boring into his. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"N-nothing," he stammered. "Just that you weren't concentrating in physics today."

"So what if I wasn't concentrating?" Paris exploded. "I have the highest GPA at Chilton! So what if I slip a bit? I'm not a freak, as some people like to believe, it's normal…to want to be somewhere else."

Looking scared, he shrugged and meekly replied. "So what's stopping you?"

"Excuse me?!"

"Why don't you leave? There's no teacher keeping you here. You can go and see that guy…the one you want to go see," he explained backing away from her a bit,

Her eyes narrowed as mortification spread through her. Was she really that obvious? "What are you talking about?"

"Gossip. At Chilton. It's kinda hard not to hear it," he explained nervously, as if he was scared she was going to beat him up. "About you and this guy. A friend of Rory's. I'm sorry. I'll shut up now." 

Paris sighed and rubbed her temples. "No, it's okay."

"Are you alright?" he asked, slightly concerned. 

"No," she answered with a huff. "I will be when I get out of here. But my mother is like a hawk. She won't let me leave."

"I can help you get out through the backdoor," he said sincerely, as if he had a plan.

She looked at him and smiled. "Let's go." 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

"We're closed." Jess called over his shoulder, when the chimes above the diner door rang while was wiping the counter with a rag. The door clicked and he could still feel the person's presence. "Man, I said we're clo – "

He stopped short when he saw Paris standing in the doorway, clad in a black dress that hugged her body, her hair loose and tumbling like waves past her shoulders, car keys jangling from her hand and a faint smile on her face. He couldn't form any words. She greeted him first. "Hey."

Regaining his composure, he let his eyes rove over her body again before speaking. "Aren't you a few miles south and a few months early for the senior prom?"

She shrugged. "I was hungry. You have the best food. I'm here."

He tapped the watch at his wrists, grinning playfully. "Like I said before, we're closed."

"You can make an exception," she said and walked closer.

"Rules are rules."

"They're made to be broken," she responded and he couldn't believe she was actually flirting him. And doing such a good job with it. "Isn't that you're motto, bad boy?"

He pretended to consider for a second. "What would you like?"

"Whatever's good," she responded eagerly and perched herself on a stool. "I've never eaten at a diner before."

He laughed and made his way around the counter to turn up the grill. "Well, you're in for a treat. We here at _Luke's_ make it a priority to make sure all your culinary needs are fulfilled to hilt."

"Just culinary needs?" she asked with a small smile.

He looked at her, caught off guard by her unusual brazenness. _It's the dress_, he thought to himself with a small grin. _I think it makes her feel as sexy as she looks. _He placed a lump of meat on the grill and flattened it with a spatula. Wiping his hands with the rag, he leaned over the counter towards her, and tugged lightly at her hair. "Among others."

She laughed, lightly, before brushing her lips over his. "Can you put in some fries?"

Twenty minutes later, she was munching on a French fry as he filled her in on his evening, Taylor's indecision bout ordering French fries or onion rings, Kirk's almost temper tantrum when he found out they were out of _Extra_ sweetener and the odd encounter with Rory's ex. "I have new respect for Luke."

"Seems like you had a busy night."

"A boring, this-won't-ever-end, moment-of-complete-and-utter-existentialism night," he corrected her as she took a sip of her soda. "But looks like my night took a turn for the better. What about you?"

She sighed. "I forgot my mother planned a dinner party. It was dull, boring and if it hadn't been for Brad I would have gone out of my mind."

He arched an eyebrow, an irrationally stab of jealously hitting him, which only made him more upset. "Brad?"

If Paris caught on to the tone of his voice, she didn't show it. Instead, she shrugged. "A friend from school. He helped me sneak out." 

"And he knew you were coming here?"

She looked at him oddly. "He's the one that suggested it."

"Huh." Jess didn't know how to take the last bit of information. So Paris' friends from school knew about him. She was talking about him to her friends.

"Apparently, the Chilton gossip mill is spewing."

"Oh," he stated contemplatively. Interesting. 

She wiped her hands with a napkin and looked around the diner. "Do you need help cleaning up?"

He took her plate and glass and shook his head. "I got it covered."

"Okay Heavenly Kid," she teased and slid off the stool. "But while you're working what am I supposed to do? Just thought it would be faster and easier if I helped."

He deposited the dirty dishes in the sink with all the others and then removed black shirt he was wearing over his Metallica T-shirt. He handed it to her. "Wouldn't want you to get that dress dirty. And it even matches." 

For the next half an hour, they talked to each other over the whoosh of the water and clattering of the plates while she put up all the chairs and stools on the tables and counter respectively. 

"Done," she stated as he put the last dish away. "That was actually…"

"Don't say fun," he warned her, wiping his hands. "Work is never fun."

"I was going to say satisfying," she replied witheringly. "I wouldn't have thought it would be. I guess being raised in privilege…it changes your perspective." 

"Warps it, you mean," he kidded and leaned over the counter again, smiling at her. "You look nice."

She blushed. "Thank you."

Before either of them could say anything else, the door chimes jangled again and they both looked up to see who had entered. Not believing his eyes, Jess straightened and looked at the woman intently, not knowing what to say, feeling a sudden sense of dread fill him. 

"Hey Jess," Liz Mariano said with a small smile, setting her bags down beside her feet. 


	7. Chapter 7: Tension & Scandal

**Chapter 7: Tension & Scandal**

He felt his whole body tense up, his muscles bunch and his jaw clench. He glanced briefly at Paris seated on the stool, looking at his mother surprised. Then he looked back at his mother and set his mouth in a grim line and acknowledged her with a short nod. "Liz."

She winced fleetingly, before smiling widely. "I guess I should have called. I didn't know Luke closed up this early."

_You don't know anything about Luke_. _Or me_, he thought bitterly but kept that thought inside. "Things change."

She cleared her throat and her smile wavered a bit, as she tugged on the hem of her jacket, in a nervous habit.

She was out of place, awkward. Her leather jacket was worn out, thin gold hoops dangled from her ears and her faded jeans were torn at the knees. In the dimness, he could see that she looked exhausted, make-up smeared and mascara smudged around the corner of her eyes. He hated that something that felt suspiciously like worry, stirred in him.

Finally, Liz's gaze fell on Paris and she managed a smile as she walked forward, extending a hand. "I'm Liz Mariano."

The blonde slid off the stool and accepted Liz's hand in a firm shake. "Paris Gellar. It's nice to meet you. I'm Jess' friend."

Friend. That was a good word. Indefinite. Safe. 

"Nice to meet you too," his mother answered uncertain.

He cleared his throat and made his way around the counter, hoping to keep the introductions short and painless. The three of them stood there, not knowing what to say as they shifted their weight around and glanced listlessly in space. 

"I should go," Paris said finally. "It's late and my nanny might send out a search party."

"I'll walk you to your car," Jess offered, relieved he was getting an outlet.

Before Liz could say anything, he was ushering Paris out of the diner and crossing the street to where her car was parked. She turned to him once they were there, placing a hand on the hood. "Are you okay?"

"What? Oh yeah, fine."

"You look pale," she stated unconvinced. 

"I'm fine," he replied firmly. "I'm sorry you have to leave."

She smiled softly, making his blood hum. "I can sense a big melodramatic moment a mile away. You, your mother - major stuff. I completely get that. You don't need me hanging around. Besides, Emmanuelle really will send out a search party." 

"Okay," he accepted, pocketing his hands. "I'm really glad you came." 

"So am I."

Because he wanted to, he leaned forward to kiss her even though he knew that Miss Patty's dance studio was at a vantage point and that she could see them if she looked out. Paris' fingers curled around the back of his neck as she kissed him back, but she pulled away before he could deepen it. 

Then, she was driving away. Letting out a sigh, he pocketed his hands and turned towards the diner. His mother was in town. She looked upset. _This can't be good._

"So, Paris lives in Stars Hollow?" Liz asked when he stepped back into the diner. She had seated herself on the stool Paris had vacated and had turned on all the lights.

He knew she was stalling and making small talk and had no problem with it. "Hartford."

She pursed her lips a little. "Expensive."

"Yeah well, she's rich," he replied with an evasive shrug. "She can afford expensive. But you're not here to talk about Paris, are you?" 

She sighed. "Of course not."

He looked at her expectantly. "Then why are you here?"

"I can't come and see my kid?" she asked defensively, crossing her arms over her chest and regarding him with a cocked eyebrow. 

He scoffed. "It's been two years since you sent me away, Ma."

"I didn't 'send you away'," she huffed and slid off the stool. He looked away from her, too angry to say anything and heard her take in a breath. "Jess, I'm not here to argue with you."

"Whatever you say."

She tilted her head to the side and placed her hands on her hips. "I've had a long trip, my muscles are cramped and I'm tired. All I want to do is take a shower and go to bed. I can tell that you've had a long day too. So can we please do this later?"

"I'd be happy if we never did this at all, Ma."

Then, before anyone of then could say anything else hurtful and angry, the door opened and Luke stalked in. By the look on his Uncle's face, he knew that Luke had a terrible night as well. _Join the club. _"Jess, why the hell do you have all the lights on?" 

"Hello Lucas," Liz greeted, a small smile on her face.

Jess saw Luke's eyes dart to his sister in surprise. After a minute, he dug his hands in the pockets of his trousers, looking uncomfortable. "Elizabeth. How are you?" 

"I'll be okay if I have a place to sleep tonight," she responded with a shrug.

Luke sighed. "Of course you do. Jess'll sleep on the couch."

"Great." Jess shot his uncle a look. Then he sighed, walked over to his mother and pulled her bag out of her hand. "This way, Liz." 

Later that night, Jess was staring at the ceiling in the darkened living room. Luke had grunted a few words about a rough evening and disappeared into his room only to come out for a glass of water. His mother took a shower, wished him goodnight and closed his bedroom door behind her. 

Annoyed, he turned on the couch and punched the pillow under his head. He was going to have to get used to it. Who knew how long his mother's reasons for being in Stars Hollow lasted? 

When he heard the creaking of floorboards he lifted his head slightly, and saw his mother creep out of his room. Quickly, he closed his eyes and feigned sleep. He heard the shuffling of her feet, the click of the light switch in the kitchen and the sound of running water. A few moments later, she was padding across the floor again and he pried his eyes open a little, to see her at the end of the couch. In the darkness she didn't see him and moved closer.

If he were really asleep, he wouldn't have felt her lightly ruffle his hair. For effect he stirred and she retracted. A few minutes later, the door clicked shut again and he opened his eyes.

He needed a cigarette. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

When Paris stepped out of the bathroom, she stopped short upon seeing Louise and Madeline, standing near her bed with confused expressions. She caught sight of Jess' black shirt in the brunette's hand and cursed inwardly. 

"Paris, darling, what's this?" Louise asked as her perfect brow arched inquisitively. 

"A shirt."

"Very droll," she replied with a small smirk. "It's not yours."

Paris sighed, trying to feign nonchalance as long as she could. "Really? And how would you know?"

"Because black isn't your color. And I know a guy's shirt when I see one." She brought the shirt close to her nose. "Besides, this smells like a mixture of cigarettes, sweat and…very cheap aftershave."

Oh boy did she know. She had spent most of the night wrapped up in, unable to sleep as she thought about Jess and the intoxicating way he smelled. She looked at her friends and then lifted her shoulder in a careless shrug. "It belongs to Jess."

Madeline smiled brightly and clapped her hands together. "I knew it! Where is he? Where are you hiding him?" 

"What?" she asked shocked, as Madeline scampered across the room, flinging open the closet door. "Madeline - "

"You know," Louise drawled as she crossed her legs and leaned on to an elbow on the bed, reminding Paris of a cat, stretching. "I didn't know you had it in you, darling. I mean really, Paris, risking a scandal as big as this? I can't say I'm not proud." 

"Scandal? What are you talking about?" Paris demanded as she stalked over and pulled Madeline out of her closet. "Both of you are certifiable."

"Say what you must," Louise smirked and Madeline giggled. "But we're not the ones hiding a boy in our room when Mother dearest can walk in any time and throw a hissy fit."

"I'm not hiding a boy in my room," Paris said, laughing at the absurdity. She realized how it must've seemed to her friends' when they saw Jess' shirt on her bed as she walked out of the bathroom. "I went to visit him last night. He offered me his shirt and I forgot to give it back."

"Were you cold?" Madeline asked, scrunching up her nose. "You must've been if he had to take off his shirt for you."

Paris sighed and rubbed her temple. "I helped him clean his Uncle's diner. He didn't want my dress to get dirty."

Louise made a disgusted face. "You cleaned a diner? Wow, you really must like this guy."

Not liking the turn the conversation was about to take, Paris shook her head slightly. "What are the two of you doing here anyway?"

Madeline pulled out the chair from Paris' desk and looked at her funny. "The physics exam on Monday. You scheduled a study session for us."

She nodded and pulled her shoulder bag out from under her bed. "Right. I forgot."

"Of course you did," Louise said with a grin. "After all, you've been dreaming of a half-naked man doing manual labor. I'm surprised you even know your name."

Paris shot her a look even though that particular description of her dream was fairly accurate. "He was wearing a T-shirt underneath." 

An hour later, the three girls were immersed in physics problems when Paris's private line jarred them out of their studies. Louise, being the most grateful that a distraction had finally come reached over the bed and picked it up off Paris' side table. 

"Paris Gellar's room. Home of scandal and sexual fantasies," she stated saucily into the phone, smirking at Paris' scowl. Madeline giggled. "Oh hey Rory. Yeah she's here. Hold on a second. She's putting back her sex to - "

Paris cut her off as she snatched the receiver out of Louise hand. "Hello?"

"Hey Paris," the other girl greeted brightly. "That was so not what I needed to hear."

"Don't mind her, all the peroxide has gotten to Louise's brain," Paris sniped and the blonde in question shot her a withering glare. "So what's going on?"

"Oh not much. I just wanted to see what you were doing today. I needed to get my mind off of…stuff."

She smiled knowingly. "Welcome to the club. We're just studying for physics."

"Yeah, I tried that," Rory answered sounding flustered. "It didn't help much. Hey, you met Jess's mom last night, didn't you?"

"Yeah I did. Briefly. I could sense the tension."

"Oh yeah. It's thick. Seems like everyone in Stars Hollow is upset. Lane and I are stealing Jess for lunch upon his request," she explained. "He's doing the whole avoiding thing. That's not healthy."

"Please," Paris scoffed. "This coming from you?"

"It's his mother."

"Exactly."

The brunette sighed in defeat. "Whatever."

They spoke idly for a few minutes before they hung up. Madeline looked up from her book and smiled again. "Did I tell you about my party?" 

"What party?"

"My annual my-parents-are-away party!" she emphasized, looking hurt that Paris didn't remember.

"To call it annual, you have to throw it every year," Paris explained. "You parent's didn't go anywhere last year."

"Together, anyways." Louise chimed in.

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Anyway, you're coming right?  It's this coming Friday. I want to invite Jess." 

"I don't know. He might not want to come," Paris stated remembering how he had bolted out of her house after their first date. 

"Ask him," the brunette prodded. 

"Fine," she stated and returned to her books. The prospect of actually having a date to a Chilton party was one she was beginning to warm up to. She tried to picture Jess at the party, surrounded by "preppy" teens and then smiled brightly. "I'll ask. Just make sure there's no French soda."


	8. Chapter 8: Kinds Of People

Chapter 8: Kinds Of People

"Well _hello_," Paris heard her mother greet someone at the door. She stepped out into the foyer from the living room and saw Tristan smiling charmingly at Renee. She let out a soft snort when Renee smiled widely, appreciatively at him. "Tristan, how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Gellar," he replied smoothly and stepped into the mansion. "You look beautiful, as always."

_God,_ Paris thought in disbelief as he mother blushed like a teenager on her first date. _Is there anyone he can't charm? _When Renee laid a hand on Tristan's arm in an out-and-out flirtatious gesture, Paris decided she needed to put a stop to the madness before she threw up. "Hey Tristan."

He looked over Renee's shoulder and smiled in relief. "Hey Paris."

"Let's go into the living room," she replied and gave her mother a pointed look.

Renee frowned for a second before smiling prettily. "You kids have fun. I'll stop by later with something to drink." 

When she was gone, Tristan looked at her gratefully. "Thank you for rescuing me."

She grimaced as she led him into the living room. "I was trying to preserve my own health. Remind me again why I let you hit me up for homework?" 

"Because you love me." Paris scowled darkly at him he fell back onto the couch behind him and gave her a lazy grin. 

"Try again."

"You have gorgeous penmanship." 

She rolled her eyes. "Don't you have a girlfriend to bother, now?"

The mirth vanished immediately from his eyes as he straightened up on the couch. He cleared his throat and looked away from her. "No, I don't."

She looked at him inquisitively as she dug into her book bag for the notes. "Trouble in paradise?" 

It was Tristan's turn to roll his eyes. "Why do you have to say it like that?"

Paris was genuinely puzzled as she sat down beside him on the couch, handing over her notes. "What do you mean 'like that'?"

He ran a hand through his untamed hair and let out a frustrated sigh. "Like the idea of me and Rory together was doomed from the beginning."

Paris knew that it would be safe not to comment on that statement. "What happened? Oh wait, let me guess – she heard the rumor?" 

He groaned. "Nothing gets by you, does it?"

"Not usually," she replied with a smug grin. Then she sobered. "So what? She threw a fit? Decided that it was best to stay away from you?" Tristan explained that he had tried to stop the story. "That was very noble of you."

She let him take that as a compliment. "Thank you."

"And very stupid." 

"Oh," he said, a little insulted. He furrowed his brows. "Why?"

"You should have left it alone," she explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "That way, you wouldn't have gotten involved and she wouldn't have traced it back to you."

He scoffed at that. "Yeah right. If she heard the first rumor, she would have assumed I was the spreading it around too. Rory would have found a way to make it my fault. It's easier that way."

Paris understood that. It was a very Rory-like thing to do. "You're right, I suppose."

"Yeah well, now it's up to her," he said, trying to sound dismissive. He smiled at her brightly. "So are you going to Madeline's bash?"

She nodded. "Jess is invited." 

"Ooh," he teased as he sat up straight. "It's getting _that_ serious between you and Mariano? Ready to thrown him to the sharks already?" 

"You think I shouldn't?" she asked, nervously. 

She had never considered how weird or difficult it would be for Jess to mingle with the Chilton crowd. Not that she was an elitist or anything – well she was sometimes – but her classmates were mean, rude and obnoxious. Case in point? The Tristan/Rory rumor fiasco. Jess didn't even go to Chilton…why would he want to go to a party that a bunch of snobs were attending?

"Paris," Tristan's tone was reassuring, as if he knew what she was thinking. "If you want him to come, then ask him. People are going to talk no matter what and from what I've heard, they're already talking _a lot_ about you and Jess." 

"Really? Like what?"

"You don't wanna know," he answered; then reached back and grabbed the phone from the side table. "Call him and ask. Only way to find out." 

She smiled at him gratefully, dialed the number she had memorized by heart and waited for him to pick up as she nervously chewed on her lip. The voice that came through sounded tired. "Hello?"

"Hi Jess, it's me." 

"Hey," he replied, the edge in his voice disappearing. "I was wondering when you'd call."

She tried hard not to blush but when she saw Tristan look up and smirk a little, she knew she had failed. Ignoring the butterflies that had suddenly spread their wings in her stomach, she plunged forward. _Cool and calm_, she told herself. _Flirt a little. _"Well, _you _could have called."

"I could have," he conceded and she didn't have to see him to know that he was smiling. "It's more fun this way, though."

She laughed a little. "Well, I have a reason for calling you. I need to ask you something."

"Sounds intriguing."

Rolling her eyes, she continued before she lost her nerve. "My friend, Madeline, is throwing a party at her house this Friday and she's invited you. You don't have to say yes right away. You don't have to say yes at all. In fact, you can even say no. It's good to say no. I mean no is a word that is highly underrated. More people should use the word no…um, kids under peer pressure, women in submissive relationships, the people behind the _Anna Nicole Smith Show_…" 

Tristan shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Do you want me to say no?" he cut her off, and she could hear laughter in his voice.

She sighed into the phone. "No."

"Will you be at the party?"

"Obviously."

"Then I'll be there."

He surprised her with the cool yet reassuring answer. Getting a little excited, she nearly fell off the couch but steadied herself so she didn't sound like an idiot when she replied. "You will? You're sure?"

"Pretty much."

"People will be there."

"You don't say."

"Lots of _preppy_ people." 

He laughed a bit. "I figured."

"I'm talking suede boots, ridiculously expensive hairstyles, Rolex watches - "

"Paris," he cut her off, sounding a little annoyed. "I said I'd be there."

"Okay," she answered with a little disbelieving smile. "Good."

"I have to go," he answered. "See you soon."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

Jess hung up the phone just as his mother sat down at the kitchen table, a plate of burgers and fries in her hand. He looked at it as she set it down in front of him and then raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"

"Food."

"What did you put in it?" he asked as she sat down across from him. 

"I see you're still a wise guy," she observed with a smile.

"Yeah well it's hard to get rid of things like that," he scoffed and picked up the burger because he was hungry…and it smelled delicious. "Very domestic of you, Ma. Making me lunch, tidying up after me…what gives?"

"Nothing," she replied defensively as he took a bite. "I used to do it for you all the time in Brooklyn."

"Really?" he asked after he swallowed, his voice bordering on nasty. "I don't remember. But then again, it's been two years since we've seen each other." 

She nodded, ran her tongue over her upper teeth – like she always did when she was trying to hold in a snappy remark or her anger. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest as she regarded him coolly. "Are you going to keep taking shots at me like that the whole time I'm here?"

"How long is that exactly?" he asked her, his anger rising steadily. His mother was acting like there was nothing wrong with her presence in Stars Hollow, like she fit into his world now, like they hadn't been separated for two years, that they could pick up where they had left off which wasn't much of place to begin with, anyway.  "And while we're on the subject why are you here? Where have you been? Luke called you three times in the last month and you were never home. Then all of a sudden you show up with your luggage intent on staying indefinitely."

"It's not indefinite," she cut in, looking put out. She pushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and leaned forward, elbows on the table. "And I don't know why I am here."

"Bullshit," he scoffed, the food forgotten. 

"Don't use that - "

He cut her off. "You never do anything without a reason, Ma." 

She stood up, pulled the sleeves of her shirt up her arm and paced. He knew that she was trying to keep from yelling, to keep from saying something she would regret later and he wanted to provoke her more. At least if he made her feel something more than just indifference then they'd be getting somewhere. But, she kept him from saying anything and let out a frustrated growl. "I'm a grown woman. I shouldn't be interrogated by my son like this."

He got up to get into her face. "A grown woman wouldn't do anything to make her son interrogate her. If you can't deal with you own shit then how can anyone else?"

"I am dealing," she answered, her eyes watering a bit. "I'm dealing the only way I know how, okay? Are you satisfied, Jess? If my being in Stars Hollow bothers you so much then just say so. Don't give me the third degree about it. My life doesn't involve - "

"Me," he sneered filling in for her. "It doesn't involve me."

"Don't put words in my mouth, Jess." He let out a breath and tried to calm his nerves. Then he shook his head, signaling that he didn't want to continue this argument and grabbed his jacket. She furrowed her brows. "We're not finished."

"It doesn't matter to me," he retorted and jerked his arm into the sleeve of his jacket. "Do whatever you want, Ma. Just keep me out of it. Like you always do."

When he reached the door, she asked him to stop and knowing that he shouldn't, he complied. "I want to talk to you about Paris."

"What?" he asked completely shocked as he turned around. "After this yelling match you want to _talk_ to me about Paris?"

She ignored his ferocious stare and continued, hands on hips. "We don't mix with those kind of people."

"What kind of people?"

"Rich people."

He shook his head, disbelievingly. "Since when have you had anything against money and the people with it?"

"Listen to me, Jess. It'll never work. Their world…it's different. We clash."

"Are you listening to yourself?" he asked, his temper flaring again. "Them? Us? Jesus!"

"I know what I am talking about," she retorted. "It'll only hurt you in the end." Disgusted that she would even care now about what happened to him, he turned around and reached for the door. "Where are you going?"

"Out," he shot back and slammed the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 9: Another Party at Madeline's

**Dedication: To Nate on his very special day! Happy Birthday, buddy!**

Chapter 9: Another Party at Madeline's 

"The cavalry is here!" Louise announced as she walked into Paris' bedroom, shopping bags in hand. Madeline followed with a small kit, almost shaped like a briefcase that could only be a make-up kit. Paris eyed her friends warily as they dumped it on her bed. "Paris, what are you doing?"

"That was going to be my line," she replied in mock regret.

"We're here to help you dress. You have to look spectacular tonight," Madeline exclaimed. "We've seen your wardrobe and there is nothing in their that will Jess into a pile of hormonal mush." 

Paris rolled her eyed. "I don't think Jess is going to stop dating me if don't wear- " she stopped mid-sentence, wondering about the truth behind her statement. Louise was apparently thinking the same thing as she merely quirked her perfect eyebrow challengingly. Paris sighed. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

Louise clapped her hands together giddily. "You've showered?" When Paris nodded, she pulled something out from the bag and handed it over to her. "See? I'm learning from you. I even bought the essentials." 

Paris looked at the tiny piece of satin in her hand, incredulous. "A thong? You want me to wear a thong?"

"Yes."

She closed her eyes, shook her head and handed the obscene suggestion back to the blonde. "I'm sorry. I believe that flossing is restricted to the mouth." 

Madeline shook her head in disdain. "Paris, you have to wear a thong."

"Why?"

"Because," she replied as if she were in pain and pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans from a shopping bag. "These jeans are going to cling to you like second skin and you can't have a panty line!"

"Plus," Louise chimed in with a mischievous smile. "If you and Jess end the night by going all the way, wouldn't you want him to see something sexy lingerie and not your usual Hanes Her Way cotton underwear?"

Paris ignored Louise comment and grabbed the thong from her. "Fine, I'll wear it."

Madeline dangled a matching black bra in front of her. "Don't forget this."

Louise handed her the jeans and a form-hugging blue shirt. "Casual yet teasingly sexy." 

"I'm going to have to keep reminding myself that the two of you are here to help," she stated wryly and made her way to her closet to change. Twenty minutes later, she had struggled into the lingerie, jeans and shirt and walked, out feeling like she was in fact wearing next to nothing. When she stepped out, she looked at her friends with circumspection. "Well?"

Madeline smiled brightly. "Paris, you look great!"

Louise smiled. "You could use some make-up but you do look rather nice." 

That was a high compliment. Paris started to blush a bit and her first reaction was to deny their declaration. Maybe it was more out of habit than anything else. "I don't know…is the shirt supposed to...you know, stretch over my breasts like that?"

"Honey, if you've got it – you flaunt it," Louise replied with a grin. "Have I taught you nothing?"

An hour and a half later, the three friends reached Madeline's house just in time for the party that was about to start. A few people arrived ten minutes later and by the time it was 7:20, the party was in full swing. Paris fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, then when Madeline handed her a plastic cup of punch, she played with the rim after downing the liquid in one gulp. 

"He's not coming," she whispered fiercely to Louise who was flirting with a boy from across the room, already on the prowl. "I knew it. He's not coming. He said he'd come but he was obviously lying. He was pretending that it was okay but of course it wasn't! Any girl would know that guys like him don't attend parties thrown by private schools and that - "

"Paris, take a deep breath and relax," the blonde interrupted. "He's coming. He said he would. And if he doesn't, you'll survive and move on to the next hot guy. Now that you're on a roll, why stop?"

"I want Jess to come," Paris replied.

Louise simply smirked. "He's here." She turned around quickly and looked over at the entrance to see Jess, Rory and Lane talking to Madeline. "Well, let's go. We don't want Madeline to keep him busy while Lane and Rory ditch him."

She nodded and they quickly weaved their way through the crowd and towards the main entrance. 

"Hi Jess!" Madeline was saying with a bright smile.

"So you're Jess." Louise said as they stopped in front of him. She gave him a long once over and smiled saucily. 

"Yes, I think we established that. You must be Louise."

After a few pleasantries, Madeline and Louise wandered off, saying that they wanted to dance. Lane spotted Henry and scampered off to greet him. To Paris, it seemed like everyone kept hanging around, not giving her time to be alone with Jess. _He looks so god tonight. Rory must've told him not to wear his faded, old clothes. Dammit Rory, leave!_

The brunette remained, smiling at Jess. "You know," she said teasingly. "They're actually going to go spread the word about you. I bet that in a couple of minutes, you'll be surrounded by hordes of my fellow classmates who are dying to know who you are and what you do and why exactly Paris is so fond of you."

Paris blushed a little before addressing him. "Sorry about Louise. She can - " 

"Give Dominique Swain a run for her money," Jess finished for her, grinning.

Rory grinned. "So that's who she reminds me of. I knew it was someone like that. And to think after all these years..." When the two of them said nothing, she seemed to get the picture and after asking where Tristan was, she wandered off too.

"So…" she said, feeling as if he was going to disappear if she turned away from him for too long. "Are you thirsty? There's a lot of soda and punch and I'm sure some great snack. Madeline's mother isn't on any weird food fetishes right now so it's good old American junk food this time. Do you want some?"

"I'm okay," he replied and then looked towards the winding staircase. "How about a tour? Do you think Madeline would mind?"

She smiled, glad that they were getting away from the crowds of people she was sure were staring at them, assessing the new guy in Paris Gellar's life. Taking him on a tour would only send their curiosity in a tailspin but she figured if they came back soon enough, people wouldn't assume too much. "I know for a fact she won't. Let's go."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

"DuGrey," Jess greeted the other boy coolly as he took the can of soda Tristan was offering. He and Paris had spent about thirty minutes touring the house, taking their time and, talking about what they had done all week. When they had come back the party was abuzz with the news of Rory and Tristan making out in the piano room. Jess simply grinned when he heard the news and then excused himself to get a soda. The look on the other boy's face told Jess that he and Rory had in fact made up and the truth behind the rumor was most likely true. "So this is your natural habitat."

Tristan grinned a little and nodded. "Some thing like that. Glad you could make it. You don't seem like the big-party-in-a-mansion-with-prep-school-kids kinda guy."

"How'd you figure?" Jess replied, rolling his eyes and then shrugged. "I came for Paris."

He nodded in understanding, no teasing gleam in his eyes. Jess wondered what that was all about but shrugged it away. Tristan and Paris were obviously friends. He just didn't know they were that close. "She's overly excited about it. Just don't tell her I said that."

Before either of them could say anything else, a pack of three boys sauntered over, one dark-haired guy slapping Tristan on the back. "Hey T-man! It's good to see you in the partying mood. You haven't been in a scene like this since…you left."

"It would've been kinda hard, Foster," he answered mockingly. "What with me being half way across the country and all."

"Hey," a blond boy addressed Jess and then extended his hand for a shake. "I'm Aaron Sheffield. You're Jess, aren't you? Rory Gilmore's friend."

"That's me."

"So I hear you're dating, Paris Gellar," the third, carrot-haired boy said a small grin on his face. He looked a little like a kid Jess knew in Brooklyn that wasn't very popular with his circle of friends. He got beat up a lot. 

"Hey, Charlie, look up the word subtlety in the dictionary," Tristan retorted with an eye roll, allowing the smirk that Jess was keeping at bay to appear. "You might learn something."

"So how's that going for you, Jess?" James asked, looking as amused but genuinely curious. "I mean you must have the fortitude of a giant to be taking on a girl like Paris."

He reminded himself that he couldn't start a fistfight here; that he was a guest at someone _rich_ person's house. Damn, he almost didn't care. He curled his fingers around the can reflexively but managed to appear calm. This James character reminded him an awful lot of Chuck Presby from Stars Hollow High. Before he could answer, however, Tristan jumped in again with a knowing grin. "Yeah well at least Jess has a date for this shindig, Jimbo. What happened? Couldn't find a girl desperate enough?"

Jess held back a chuckle as he watched James grow red with embarrassment and anger. Aaron stepped in front of Tristan and smiled charmingly. "Hey, hey! We're all friends, here. This is a party. Let's go have fun."

The two other boys grumbled, glared at both Tristan and Jess and then followed Aaron to the opposite corner of the room. Jess turned to the blond with a small smile. "Well, looks like you're quite the big man on campus. Those guys actually seemed afraid to mess with you."

"It's all about popularity," Tristan explained with a shrug and looked down at the can of soda in his hands. "Most of these people here are assholes. Most of the time you get so caught up in it, you forget that you don't want to be one. But it's an image – losing it is worse than keeping it."

"I understand that," Jess answered contemplatively. "Actually I understand it better than you would guess."

"Well enough about that," Tristan smiled, raised his soda can in the air and then looked over Jess's shoulder and lifted the can higher in salute. Jess turned to see that he was looking at Paris and Louise who were standing near the door, talking. "Here's to Madeline Lynn for this wonderful party and to Paris Gellar who, might I say, is wearing the hell out of those jeans and that shirt."

Jess grinned and clinked his own can against Tristan's. "I'll drink to that."

"Paris Gellar's stacked. Who knew?" 

"Let's keep the lewd comments to a minimum, DuGrey," Jess replied with a small chuckle. "After all, I don't want to have to beat you up in front of your groupies."

The two boys talked for a couple of minutes before Jess excused himself, grabbed Paris a soda and made his way back to her. Louise and Madeline were still at her side, whispering, talking excitedly. They brought their conversation to halt as soon as he approached, Louise giving him a saucy smile. "Did you mingle, Jess?"

The blonde was obviously going to give him a hard time. He decided that he liked that about her. She was…feisty. He merely smiled and handed Paris her can of soda. The black-haired girl was looking a little bored so he decided to direct his questions to her. "Nice house, Madeline. Very…impressive."

She shrugged. "Ah, it's okay. My mother goes on a decorating spree every year and I never get enough time to get used to something being a particular way at all. So really, when you think about it my house is never really - "

"Madeline," Paris cut her off sharply. "You're babbling. We talked about this."

The girl frowned. "Sorry. God, what is this lame music? Louise! I thought you convinced Harold to play good music."

"Your first problem is that you're letting a guy named Harold control the CD player," Jess quipped, taking a swig of his soda.

"I told you to hire a band," Louise chided Madeline as the two of them went off to boycott Harold. 

Paris turned to him as soon as they left. "That was a long time to go get a soda."

"I ran into DuGrey," he replied casually and then started laughing a little. "Then these three guys started harassing me about being your date. James, Aaron and Charlie…I think. Tough guys in suits."

Paris scowled. "They're pathetic losers. What did they say? What did you say?"

"I didn't have to say much," he answered with a shrug. "DuGrey kinda pulled the rug from under them. I was too busy trying to keep my fist away from their faces." 

Her eyes widened and a smile dawned on her lips. "Really? I would have loved to see that. James Foster has it a long time coming. The last time I decked him was in the fifth grade. He stole my last tube of glue." 

"You hit him?" he asked amused and little astonished.

She smiled proudly. "He walked around with a shiner for a week." 

Jess chuckled and held out his hand. "I'm not really a big fan of dancing but I thought I'd ask anyway. Do you want to?"

She smiled and took his hand. When they joined the rest of the dancers, she faced him and pointed a finger at him, her expression stern with a hint of a gleam in her eye. "Stay off my toes." 


	10. Chapter 10: Firsts

**Author's Note: **_Yes, I know it's been awhile since I updated this. You will have to forgive me. If you're reading Whatever Tomorrow Brings, you'll see that this is a little behind in the timeline sense, that is, Jess and Paris are still at the party. You're just going to have to overlook that. _

Chapter 10: Firsts

"You weren't kidding when you said you were bad at this," Paris commented over Jess' shoulder when he stepped on her foot again. He moved awkwardly, stepping away too quickly from her. "Exceptionally bad." 

"Can't say I didn't warn you," Jess replied. She could feel the tension in his muscles; how rigid his body was each time he tried to move gracefully with her. He stepped on her foot again and she winced. "Jeez, I'm sorry."  

"Maybe we shouldn't be dancing," she suggested and pulled away from him.

He nodded, a little disappointed by the lack of body contact. "Yeah."

She smiled at him, a teasing gleam in her eyes. "You don't have to be good at everything, you know. Besides, too many people are watching. I need to get out of here."

Now there was an idea he could definitely get behind. "Madeline won't mind if you ditch the party early?"

Paris rolled her eyes. "She probably doesn't know I'm still here."

Jess nodded again. "I'm going to go find Rory and let her know we're leaving."

She smirked. "I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to be disturbed, Jess."

"That's why I'm going to go find her." He grabbed her hand and weaved them through the rest of the dancing couples, making a beeline for Rory and Tristan who were dancing blissfully unaware of the rest of the world.  He tapped on Rory's shoulder twice. The brunette opened her eyes and lifted her head from Tristan's shoulder, looking a little dazed. 

"Jess?" she asked, her brows furrowing as the couple stopped swaying to the music.

"Glad you remembered."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Paris and I are heading out. You'll take the Jeep back home? I have no idea where Kim is so it's up to you to find her." He looked between her and Tristan and then grinned. "As you were." 

Rory blushed and Tristan laughed before giving Jess and Paris a meaningful look. "See you guys later. Don't do anything I would." 

A few minutes later, they were driving away from the Lynn mansion. Jess didn't know where they were heading but he sensed that she wanted to go somewhere quieter, more private. Which was exactly what he had in mind. And then some. 

That's why he was completely shocked to see where she ended up. 

He turned to her, brows drawn together. "Where are we?"

"They call it Pleasure Point," she replied, her lips twisting into a wry grin. She glanced out the window to the car parked next to hers – the ones with the windows steamed. "I'm pretty sure you can figured out why."

"Maybe I should rephrase the question – why are we here? Aside from the obvious reason of course."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't get any ideas, Mariano. It's not what you think."

He leaned back against the leather interior again and smiled. "And what was I thinking?"

"Oh no," she replied with a laugh. "We're _so_ not going there." 

"Alright. I'll stop with the innuendo."

"Good. Then I'll tell you why we're here."

She didn't say anything but got out of the car, waiting for him to follow. Once they were standing outside, he looked around to see that her car was parked out near a precipice that overlooked the semi-glittering city of Hartford. It was for all rhyme and reason the picture perfect place for overzealous teenagers to come and hook up. Jess knew that the five other couples in the other cars were probably exploiting that fact to the hilt. 

He turned to Paris, who looked extremely tempting, with the lights from the city below dimly lighting her face and with the wind causing her hair to whip around her face. She reached up and tucked them behind her ear and smiled. He returned it and dug his hands deeply in his pockets to keep from reaching out and grabbing her. "So, explain away."

"It's not a very elaborate reason. It's quiet up here." She paused and made a face. "Well excluding the faint moans and grunts and the occasional fight about impropriety."

He grinned. "Of course."

She shrugged and walked closer to the edge of her precipice. He followed and stood beside her, the two of them looking at the distant streetlights below. "You can hear your own thoughts here. My house is pretty big but sometimes I feel like the walls are going to cave in on me or something. Does that make sense?"

"Completely."

She gave him a sideways glance. "This is kind of like a sanctuary. Ironic, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"This place and me," Paris gestured behind her dismissively. "I mean, who would ever figure that me, Paris Gellar, would find solace and peace at a place like this. Somewhere she would very rarely frequent on a date." She let out an amused chuckle. "Look what it's called for crying out loud."

He laughed and finally gave up fighting the urge to pull her close. He reached for her hand and tugged her to him. "There's always a first time for everything, Par."

Her brows shot up, surprised. "What did you call me?"

The nickname had slipped out unconsciously on his part; he hadn't even realized that he used it until she asked. He cleared his throat and avoided eye contact. "I called you Par."

"As in 'partridge in a _pear_ tree'?" He shifted a bit. He was really against cutesy nicknames. Especially ones boyfriends dubbed girlfriends. It was too pop-culture-y for his tastes. "No one's ever given me a nickname that wasn't spiteful."

"I could not call you that."

"I don't mind," she answered, looking up at him. She slipped an arm around his waist as he held her to him. "I thought I would, but I don't."

"Another first tonight then, I guess."

"I get the feeling I'm going to have a lot of first with you, Jess," Paris mused. She said it so innocently, without realizing the insinuation behind that comment that he had to hold back a chuckle so he wouldn't embarrass her. Unfortunately, she was a smart girl and she quickly recalled what she said. Even in the dimness he could see the blush that stained her cheeks as she stuttered to rectify her statement. "I-I…I mean, I didn't mean -"

He decided to spare her the misery and cut her off with a laugh. "I know what you meant, Paris." He brushed an errant strand away from her face with one hand and smiled. "You're right, though. A lot of firsts."

She was smiling widely when she lifted her mouth to his.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

"Jess, come on, that play is filled with sexual innuendos." Paris settled back on the thick wool blanket under her. They had been discussing books, movies and songs for what seemed like hours on end under the stars at Pleasure Point. When it started getting chillier, she had pulled out the blankets she kept in her trunk and the two of them laid down on it, mid-discussion-slash-argument. "The play opens with Romeo and Meurcutio sword fight. And in the movie, it's a pool table. There are phallic symbols everywhere."

"I've actually never thought of it like that," Jess replied, hands behind his head. "Of course, I'm not really a Shakespeare buff. The guy never made much sense to me. But I do have to say you're the first girl I know who would look past the romance of Romeo and Juliet and look for sexual references. Figures."

Her eyes widened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He laughed, lifting his hands up in a universal sign of peace. "I just mean most girls would get swept up with the lovey-dovey-they-died-for-each-other crap and miss the murder and mayhem."

Oh, that's what he meant. She nodded. "Romeo and Juliet were selfish and horny."

He laughed out loud at that. "You don't believe they loved each other at all?"

"How could they have? They hardly knew each other. He sees her at a party and that's it?" She shook her head vehemently; she had major issues with this play. "Were they in lust? Yeah. Love? I don't buy it. Call me cynical or jaded but love at first sight is just too easy."

He nodded, sighed and looked up at the stars. "It is."

The words were simple but she could hear the conviction behind them. "You sound like you know about it firsthand."

"That's because I do." He turned to her and propped up on his elbow. "It was kind of like that with me and Rory."

Paris wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the rest of this but she cleared her throat and nodded. "You thought you loved Rory when you first saw her?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"But?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe the timing was wrong. She has this way about her, you know? She's one of those people under normal circumstances you wouldn't really like because they're just too perfect…someone you really -"

"Really want to hate but somehow can't?" Paris finished for him and then gave him a wry, knowing smile. "Preaching to the choir. I wanted to hate her so badly. Especially when Tristan fell for her."

It was his turn to grin. "Ah yes. Your crush on DuGrey."

She was mortified. "I can't believe Rory told you."

"Many of her rants often include your name."

"Good to know."

"I don't get it though," Jess pondered. "What is it about DuGrey?"

"I don't know. What is it about Gilmore?"

"Touché." 

She decided to answer his question anyway. "It wasn't love at first sight for me with Tristan, though. I've known the guy my entire life. It was inevitable."

"So what happened?"

"Not much," she replied. She turned to her side too this time, clasped her hands underneath her cheek, so she could see his face. "He was into Rory from the start. The sensible, cynical part of me knew that. But I went out with him anyway. Pretty pathetic, huh?"

"No." He paused for a moment and looked her in the eye, as if trying to read her thoughts. "It just makes you pretty human."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The apartment was dark when Jess came home and he was grateful for it. He crept into the kitchen, without opening the lights, groped his way to the sink to get a glass of water. After downing it in one gulp, he peeled off his jacket and went into the living room.

"Did you have fun tonight?" 

Damn, he had been thankful too quickly. He turned to see his mother sitting curled up on the edge of the couch. Even in the darkness, he knew she was wearing his Metallica T-shirt. It had mysteriously disappeared in the morning and he had been looking for it all day. Since he hadn't said much to Liz that entire time, he hadn't bothered to ask her. 

He sat down on the other end of the couch. "Yeah."

"Where'd you go?"

"A party."

"Did you drink?"

He scoffed. "Yeah, a soda. Are you going to ask if I danced to?"

The pale light that came in from the window illuminated her face and he could see that she was grinning, lopsided. "Did you?"

For some reason, he wanted to laugh. "I tried. I kept stepping on Paris' feet."

If she was going to comment on Paris, she refrained. Instead, she laughed lightly. "You've always had two left feet. Like your father."

They hardly ever mentioned him. It was kind of taboo. "Yeah well it figures I'd get some kind of ineptness from him."

They sat in silence until she shifted and broke the silence. "He called."

"Here?" He was surprised but his voice came out even.

She shook her head, her curls tumbling past her shoulders. "A few days ago."

No wonder she came to Stars Hollow. He shook his head, hating his father for influencing his life without even being a part of it. "What did he want?"

"He wanted to know how you were."

"Bullshit."

"Jess -"

"Listen Ma," he cut her off, without sounding too harsh. "I'm tired."

"Okay," she answered, picking up on his uneasiness. She got off the couch and walked to his bedroom. Turning at the door, she paused before saying, "You can't keep avoiding me forever, Jess. I'm still your mother."

He let out a frustrated sigh and fell back on the couch. As if she'd ever let him forget that.


	11. Chapter 11: Break Free

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own 'em.

Rating: R

Pairing: Paris/Jess

Dedication: To Naters and Susie because they rock!

Chapter 11: Break Free 

Liz chased the strawberry around in the cereal bowl with a spoon, turning the milk into a pale pink. Luke, who had his back to her, was standing over the kitchen sink and she could tell her brother was trying very hard not to snap at her. She grinned, scraped the spoon against the ceramic and chuckled when Luke swore softly. After eating the lone strawberry, she lifted the bowl to her lips and drank the milk in one big slurp. 

"Dammit Liz, cut it out!" 

She nearly choked on the milk when Luke whirled around looking pissed. He was just so easy. She swallowed and looked at him innocently. "What?"

"I've tried to remain neutral," he started to say as he banged his fist down on the counter and she knew that a rant was coming on. She braced herself against the counter. "I tried to pretend like it was okay that you were here without reason and that Jess was here without caring that you were here. But let me tell you, it's not working."

"Just relax, Lucas."

"I will not relax. Why are you here, Liz?"

She opened her mouth to say something and closed it again. What had she expected? That Luke would never ask about what had driven her back to Stars Hollow? It wasn't in his nature to leave things alone for long and now; apparently, it wasn't in Jess' nature either. "It's a long story."

He folded his arms across his chest. "Well, I've got the time." 

She glanced over at Jess bedroom door that was still closed and then back to her brother's face. "Not now." 

He nodded slowly and his words came out almost accusingly. "You're not planning on telling him, either, are you?"

What Jess didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right? But she couldn't tell Luke that and she wasn't sure if she was ready to tell her son that a broken-heart had driven her into a town she swore she'd never inhabit again. 

Before she could answer, Jess sauntered into the living room. He was still in his pajamas and Liz glanced over at the clock on the wall. Seven. He was never up before he had to be. The three of them frowned at each other suspiciously. 

"You're up early," Luke stated as Jess ran a hand through his hair to tame it down. 

"Not early enough, though," he said giving Liz a pointed look before sitting down next to her on a stool. "What have you two been arguing about?" 

"We're not arguing."

"Just disagreeing," Luke added, as he turned back to the stove to finish making eggs. "What'll you have, Jess?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Liz asked, taking a sip of coffee.

He ran lifted his brows. "That's what I said."

It was concern that swamped through her. Jess very rarely missed breakfast – or any meal for that matter. But it had been two years; things could have changed. But she'd never know. If she voiced her concern, he would scoff at her and leave before she could say anything else. But she was his mother, as much as he hated it. "You need to have something."

As predicted, Jess gave her a look and the proceeded to ignore her. "I'm going to take a shower."

When he left, Luke turned around again and raised his mug of tea to his lips. "That was good."

"What are you talking about?" she asked with a sigh.

"You actually sounded concerned."

She shook her head and the rubber band holding her hair loosely together loosened. She reached up to tighten it as she retorted, "I was concerned, Luke."

"Could've fooled me." That remark was so uncharacteristic, it hurt even more.

"Why don't you give me a break?"

"You've run out of breaks, Liz." Luke placed his mug in the sink and gave her a critical look. "It's time you grew up." 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

The conversation/argument that he had heard his uncle and his mother having, had only reminded Jess why he needed to get of Stars Hollow for the day. When he had finished showering, his so-called 'family' had already opened the diner for a regular business day. That was another thing that unsettled him about his mother's presence in his daily routine – her willingness to work with Luke in his diner. Thing were too weird at home, school was always unbearable and he was not going to fake being sick and have Liz pretend to be concerned about him while he watched sitcom reruns. 

So, he decided to cut school and took off to the first place he thought of: the Gellar mansion. 

He knew that there was a possibility of running into Renee Gellar but it was chance he was going to have to take. Maybe he could cut Paris off before she left for school. He wasn't sure what time she left the mansion, but he was going to have to wing it. He pulled into the circular driveway and shut off his engine and waited for some signs of activity. 

After five minutes, the large oak doors opened and he was ready to crouch down, just in case Mrs. Gellar happened to walk out. From his first and only encounter with the woman, he had the distinct impression that she was the kind of person who would think that the suspicious car parked in the driveway probably belonged to someone delivering something. 

But it was the younger Gellar who stepped out; dressed in her Chilton uniform, ready for school. He smiled as he watched her, straightening out of her skirt and adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag. He was about to get out of the car and walk over when she looked up and saw his car. Then, he decided to remain seated, waiting for her to come to him.

Which is what she did. Except, she stormed over.

He rolled down the window as she came to stand near the driver's side. "Morning sunshine," he greeted her, taking in her suspicious glare.

"Are you stalking me?" she demanded, hands on hips. 

He almost laughed as he opened the door and stepped out of the car, to stand in front of her. He'd have a much better chance of convincing her to skip school if he was able to touch her. "No, I'm not stalking you."

"So what do you call this?"

"A getaway."

Paris' brows drew together. "What are you talking about, Jess?"

Jess reached for her hands and held them in his as he talked. "Ditch school with me."

Her eyes widened in astonishment. "I can't ditch school! I _have_ to go to school."

He suspected that she _wanted_ to go to school. He shook his head in disbelief and pulled her a little closer, a smirk playing on his lips. "I bet you have a perfect attendance record."

"All fours years of high school," she replied automatically, a little proudly, but then her features darkened a little. "I was out for a week in third grade because I had the chicken pox. I couldn't go because I was contagious."

He patted her hands in mock understanding. "That must've been hard."

"Don't tease me."

"Then come with me. You're not going to miss anything for one day." He tugged her close so that her body softly collided with his and then bent his head to whisper in her ear. "It'll be fun, Par. I promise."

He got the satisfaction of feeling her shudder against him before her body tensed in an obvious attempt to fight his effort at persuasion. His lips curved. That only made him more determined. "I can't."

"Yes," – he nipped her earlobe with his teeth - "you can."

She sighed softly and pressed herself to him. Good, her defenses were weakening. He brought his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as he rang his tongue gently over the shell of her ear. He was pretty sure he heard her whimper. "I don't have a test today." 

He let his lips travel down the side of her neck. "There you go." 

"I could get notes from Rory."

He brought his lips to the corner of her mouth. "She'll be happy to give them to you." 

"I could always forge my mother's signature."

He cupped her face in his hands and lifted his mouth off of hers. "That's very sneaky, Gellar. I didn't know you had it in you." He dipped his head again and this time kissed her on the lips, to make sure that she didn't change her mind. 

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she said as he broke the kiss.

He grinned and turned to open his car door. "It'll be an adventure."

"Uh, no way am I taking any chances in that death trap you call a car, Jess. Defective seatbelts, no airbags and don't get me started on the gas tank! And if I'm right, I'm sure there's substances within that seat that have been in there since Torrington High's prom night of 1983. I don't want to share the same car where Bitty McCarlsberg became a woman. If we're going to do this, we're taking my Mercedes."

He would have reminded her that he had the car cleaned inside out but she was amusing when she ranted. And hot. As she tugged him to his car, he pretended to sulk. "You take the fun out of everything."

"Live with it," she barked back and he realized that she was steamed because he had coerced her into skipping school with a kiss. 

_Imagine the possibilities_, he thought with a satisfied grin.  

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

_Oh my God! What am I doing?_ Paris thought to herself as she sped down the high way, hands tightly gripping the steering wheel of her car. What could have possibly possessed her to skip school to frolic with some…_boy_? Well, not just some boy. It was Jess, after all, with his mysterious good looks and soft, smirking mouth. And she was pretty sure that it was in momentary lapse of sanity induced by the feeling of his lips on hers that made her do something so impulsive. 

She was going to kill Rory for this. A slow, painful, torturous death. 

_Why Rory?_ she asked herself, fuming. Because brunette had introduced her to temptation.

"Relax, will you?" Jess commented from the passenger seat.

She glanced at him, sprawled luxuriously against the leather interior of her car without a care in the word. The stupid, sexy bastard. Through gritted teeth she answered, "I am relaxed."

"Then release your death grip on the steering wheel." 

She did and blood flowed back to her whitened knuckles. Okay, maybe she was a little on edge. But could he really blame her? No, he couldn't. Because he was to blame. Showing up at her home, kissing her into submission. What was she? Some weak-minded, sex crazed, hormone driven teenager? God, she had been hanging around Madeline and Louise too much. "My mother is going to kill me."

"There's nothing you can do about it now, Par." He shrugged and played with the radio, grating on her nerves. "Tomorrow you can go to school just as you normally do."

He said it so easily. Of course, for him, it was that easy. She sighed, changed lanes and leaned back against the seat. She was going to take his advice and relax. "So, why this impromptu little trip, Jess?"

He shifted a little uncomfortably. "I just felt like it."

"Try again," she stated, instinctively knowing that there was more to his story than just a whim. 

"I didn't feel like hanging around Liz for the day, okay?" he snapped and ran a hand through his hair. After a beat, he apologized. "Sorry."

"That's okay," she answered. She was interested in what went on with his mother to make him run out of Stars Hollow but she knew better than to push with Jess Mariano. He'd just push back. "So, do you want to tell me where we're going?"

"No, but I'll give you directions." He turned off the radio when the new Justin Timberlake song started and started rummaging through her glove compartment. "Do you even own a CD?" 

She glared at him witheringly. "Yes, I own CDs. They're in my other car."

"Oh right, your other car. I forgot. Okay take the exit."

"Jess, I hate surprises."

"Tough." He turned to her and smirked. "The last time we went out and you didn't know where we were going, we had fun didn't we?"

She smiled thinking of the carnival and then sighed. "Lots of fun." 

"Well, there you go. Paris, you don't have enough fun in your life."

"That's not true!" she protested although inwardly, she knew he was right. "I have fun."

"Yes, if you call going through an education with the determination of a tornado, fun. The I'd say you're having a blast." 

She hated criticism, especially from him. "I value good education."

"I respect that," he answered and she knew he meant it. 

A blush crept up her cheeks. "You do?"

"Yeah. But I think you need to cut loose once in awhile," he added as an afterthought. 

She glanced at him as they entered a town that she was sure she hadn't ever seen in her entire life – and it wasn't even that far from Hartford. Cutting loose?

She could do that. 


	12. Chapter 12: Caring

**Dedication: **_To Susie, my wonderful beta. And to Janine, who might not read this but she deserves it for stalking me.****_

**Chapter 12: Caring**

Liz Mariano wouldn't have been surprised to see Lorelai Gilmore sitting at a table in the diner had she not known about her break up with Luke. Being one of the only people privy to that information; she was definitely taken aback to see the other woman there. She carried the coffee pot to Lorelai's table and refreshed her cup. "He's not here. After breakfast he just mumbled that he was going fishing." 

"Oh." The usually verbose woman stared into her coffee mug, almost glumly. "Do you know when he's coming back?" 

Liz shrugged. "I don't know a lot about my brother."

"Yeah, I sensed that." An awkward pause. Lorelai took a sip of coffee. "How's he doing?"

"His sentences are shorter and more gruff, if that's possible and he follows his routine, which is pretty much normal." Liz sat down across from Lorelai. "Top it all off with me back in town and you've got Hermit!Luke 2.0." Lorelai furrowed her brows. "You know, like Jake 2.0." 

Lorelai grinned half-heartedly. "Thought so. Good show."

Liz nodded and smiled sadly. "I kinda missed a few episodes."

"I know this might sound ridiculous but I have the last two episodes taped. The last two weeks have been crazy and I haven't even watched them yet. I could lend them to you when I'm done or something…" Lorelai offered with a sheepish smile. "I know how out-of-the-loop I feel when I miss episodes."

"That'd be really nice." Never in a million years did Liz think she'd be having a conversation like this with someone in Stars Hollow. But then again, there were a lot of things Liz Mariano could have never predicted. "I haven't had much to do at night lately. Luke usually handles the night shifts now that I'm here during the day and Jess won't even talk to me, so..."

"He's a…complicated kid," she said kindly although it took her a couple of minutes to think up a euphemism for the original adjective for Jess that probably came into her mind. "I really don't know what to tell you. Jess and I didn't get off to a very good start."

Liz grimaced. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that. Luke told me vaguely about it. I guess you weren't really pleased when he started to date Rory."

"I didn't give him much of a chance," Lorelai answered, somewhat embarrassed. "We both learned to tolerate each other, though. For Rory's sake. And Luke's." 

Before she could stop herself, Liz let out a sigh. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do with him. Say to him."

"They're not easy to handle at this age."

Liz let out a light snort. "Says the woman whose daughter's the town's angel." 

Lorelai shrugged but couldn't contain a grin. "I got lucky. But in case you haven't noticed – and you may not have – she's dating Satan himself."

"The blonde kid? With the fancy car? Oh yeah, he's got that look to him," Liz replied knowingly. "Jimmy had that look. Not as polished and spruced up but just as dangerous. Made my legs jelly."

Lorelai looked wistful. "I guess we all have one of those in our teens."  

Liz refrained from asking if Lorelai's teen guy was the reason she couldn't make it work with Luke. Instead, she leaned back in her chair and gave the other woman a somewhat surprised smile. "You know what I just realized?"

"What's that?"

"We're very much a like. Except that everyone in this town loves you and you love them right back."

It was Lorelai's turn to snort. "Well, if you have grown up with Emily Gilmore as a mother, you'd love Stars Hollow too." 

"Oh right. You look like you're rich." When Lorelai scrunched her nose, Liz clarified, "Aristocratic. You look like you've come from a rich family."

"How can you tell?"

Her smile was bitter. "I've lately become an expert when it comes to rich people."

Lorelai looked a little concerned and curious. "Are you talking about Paris?"

"Her too, I guess." Liz leaned forward. "I don't know her too well but…I don't know, she looked harmless enough - "

"She is," Lorelai interrupted. "Sure she's neurotic, demanding, and vindictive on occasions and has enough energy to outrun the Energizer bunny but she's a good kid."

"Jess usually doesn't go for girls like her." She mulled over her words and then shrugged. "Not that I know what kind of girls he goes after at all."

Lorelai reached over and patted Liz on the hand. "It's okay. I completely get where you're coming from. But to tell you the truth, I think Paris is good for him. It's been a while since he's shown any real interest in a girl since Kathy Smith."

Liz looked up quizzically. "Who?"

"Luke didn't tell you?"

"Must've slipped his mind." 

As Liz listened to Lorelai recount all of the girls Jess had seen ever since he moved to Stars Hollow, she realized the chasm she had created between them was bigger than it had been in New York and he was too far away to reach.

She was beginning to think it was too late, anyway.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Paris always thought that making out in the backseat of a car – or in the front seat, for that matter – was pretty tacky and immature. If you were going to engage in such acts, it was better left in places like a hotel or the privacy of ones own bedroom. But in the back of a Mercedes Benz? Never an option. 

That was before she started to make out with Jess Mariano on a regular basis. 

Now, in her opinion, you were allowed to engage in a very torrid game of tonsil hockey wherever and whenever the urge came to you. 

With her worldviews shifting only slightly to accommodate her new policy, she settled comfortably on the leather interior in the back seat of her car so that her body was angled directly under Jess'. Very pleasantly, indeed. 

At that moment, she didn't care that she was supposed to be in school. She didn't care that Jess had made her ditch classes and was missing a very important quiz in Physics. 

All she cared about was that Jess had taken her to Chuck-E-Cheese when they were driving around aimlessly in a nearby town and she had mentioned she had never been there.

"Another first," he had stated as she pulled into the parking lot.

She cared when he won her a ridiculous plastic slinky by winning the Whack-A-Mole.

She cared when he paid for the greasy pizza they had inside even though she knew he was probably running low on cash and remembered to bring napkins.

She cared when he held her hand back to the car.

And right now, she cared that they had managed to end up at Pleasure Point again, this time to do something much more than talk. 

As Jess's lips moved to an extremely sensitive spot under her jaw, she wondered how it was she had managed to go without making out – really making out- with a boy for so long. Suddenly, all of Louise's and Madeline's exploits didn't seem so frivolous or foolish. All the pop-culture notions about sex and love from shows like _Dawson's Creek_ and _Beverly Hills__ 90210_ didn't sound so ridiculous. 

It was like she finally understood what it was all about. 

The perfect mesh of lips against lips. The tremble that rippled through her as Jess's hands skimmed up her bare legs. The weakness in her knees when he groaned against her mouth; kissed her deeper in response to her own ministrations on the small of his back. The liquid heat that seemed to unfurl somewhere deep in her stomach and spread through her like wildfire as his tongue did wonderful things with her own. 

Even the stupid teeny-bopper music that played faintly from the radio while the windows progressively steamed up made complete sense. 

She was Diane Court being pursued by Lloyd Dobbler in _Say Anything_ and she freaking didn't care. She loved it. 

She giggled softly at that comparison (Jess Mariano as a John Cusack character was definitely giggle-worthy) and he lifted his head from the crook in her neck and looked at her curiously, eyes hooded with lust. She felt a sudden rush of power surge through her and the amusement seemed to subside. 

"What's so funny?" 

She bit her lower lip to keep from smirking. "Nothing."

"It's obviously something; you're still smiling." He pulled away slightly, not looking hurt but a little offended. "Something wrong?"

She reached up and tangled her hand in his messy hair before she told him about the reason for her mirth. "It's kind of jarring to think of you as John Cusack. Although, you have 'underdog' written all over you."

He smirked slightly at her description. "So, do you always compare guys to the movie character of your choice when they're kissing you?"

"I couldn't think of someone to equate Tristan with," she returned mock seriously, "so no, it's not a habit of mine." 

"Good to know." She nodded, shifting slightly under his weight, her muscles cramping a bit. "Do you want to…?"

"Stop? No," she answered quickly and caused him to grin. "I mean, I just need to get comfortable again. You're heavy." 

He laughed now as she squirmed under him. Finally, he shifted back and leaned over her so that all the weight was off of her and on his own elbows. Paris stared up at him just as his mouth moved closer and fused with hers again.

Sighing, she wrapped her arms around him again and felt something odd tug inside her, something that was separate from the lust that was coursing through her. As his tongued dueled with hers, she came to the sudden realization that she cared.

Probably too much.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Jess slid the plate of pancakes across the counter to Rory Gilmore, the next day at breakfast. She was frequenting _Luke's single now, her mother nowhere to be seen after her break up with his uncle. Jess didn't know how he felt about that yet, he wasn't sure what it would be like to see less of Lorelai, although he was grateful that maybe now he wouldn't keep walking in on his uncle in a compromising position._

"Someone seems to have gotten their appetite back," Jess commented as he watched her sip on her coffee, as soon as she stuffed a forkful of pancake in her mouth. "Need your energy for DuGrey?" 

"Shumfhup," she replied, her mouth already full of pancake. 

"Very ladylike." 

She swallowed and then managed to glare. "I'm gonna be late for school."

"Not the end of the world."

"Maybe not to you," she returned with a scoff. Then, she grinned. "Speaking of being late for school, was it just me or was Paris extremely late yesterday? In fact, I think she missed school altogether." 

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied innocently as he swiped a strip of bacon off her plate. 

"Don't even act like the two of you weren't out cavorting all day," she accused good-naturedly. "Paris would never miss a quiz unless she was under someone's bad influence."

"I am pretty good at persuading people."

Rory returned his grin and finished off her second pancake. "Just try and keep her on the straight and narrow, will you?"

"I make no promises I don't intend to keep." And before he knew it, she was running out the door in a flurry of hair and books. Shaking his head, he picked up the plate she left and turned around to bump into his mother. "Sorry."

"Chop, chop kid," she returned easily. "Your uncle doesn't pay you to chat with friends."

"At least I get paid," he muttered under his breath. He checked the next order that was ready and Caesar yelled something incomprehensible to him over all the racket in the kitchen. "Where's Luke?"

Liz shrugged. "Don't know. Fishing."

"Again?"

"The break-up with Lorelai hit him hard," Liz whispered to him as she passed. "He'll be okay, though. He's Luke."

_That doesn't mean anything_, Jess thought bitterly in his head. _You don't get okay with stuff just because of who you are. Out loud, he replied, "yeah sure." _

"Oh your school called yesterday."

Oh shit. "What did they say?"

"I think you know, Jess," she replied as she efficiently maneuvered around him with plates of orders in her hands. "After you come home, we're going to have a nice long talk."

"That's very Maggie Seaver of you Ma, but I think I'll pass," he answered sarcastically as he wiped his hands with the apron. Since when did she care about his attendance record? "I'm leaving."

Liz reached out as and grabbed his arm before he could pass. "You're going to go straight to school, stay there until 2:30 and you're going to come home and we're going to have this discussion, Jess."

Their gazes locked, neither of them backing down; the ultimate power of wills. Jess jerked his arm from her grasp and walked away. "Whatever." 


	13. Chapter 13: Complications

Chapter 13: Complications 

"So Gellar," Louise said as the foursome sat at their usual table. She forked her salad and regarded her dirty-blonde friend levelly. "How's Jess in bed?"

While Madeline giggled and Rory choked on her soda, Paris shrugged and bit into her sandwich, unfazed. "I don't know what you're talking about, Grant."

Louise sighed. "I realize that playing dumb is one of your favorite defense mechanisms in the multitude of psychological armor that makes up your mind but please do not insult my intelligence by trying to dodge the obvious." 

Paris rolled her eyes; she knew Louise taking psych as an elective would bite her in the ass one day. "Care to enlighten me on what it is you're trying to get me to say?"

Madeline decided to take over. "Well since you were MIA yesterday, we assumed that you and Jess had spent the day having lots and lots of sex."

Paris glared at Rory and the brunette quickly added, "I did not make that assumption."

Louise waved her hand in the air in a dismissive gesture. "That's only because she's trying to keep her own sex life with Tristan under wraps."

"Hey!" Rory protested.

"Well, it is true, isn't it?" The brunette frowned, mumbled something under her breath and Louise turned back to Paris. "So, how was it?"

"I'm not having sex with Jess," she replied, resigned to the fact that her best friends were gossip-mongers who wanted every single detail of her love life on record. "We just made out a little."

The other three girls grinned as she felt a blush spread across her face. The events from the day before were still fresh in her mind: the soft feel of his lips under hers, the shiver that ran through her everything his tongue swept into her mouth, the feel of his hair between her fingers. When they had finally pulled apart and straightened themselves out, Paris could hardly think past the fog that had settled in her brain and had spent the ride home, smiling like an idiot. 

It was wonderful.

"Aw, Paris," Madeline sighed dreamily. "I'm so happy for you."

"I'm not getting married," she snapped back, even though inside, she was happy for herself as well. "It's nothing."

 "Believe me, when you're walking around school in a constant haze and blushing red at the slightest thought of him, it's never nothing." Rory replied knowingly and then pointed to Paris's neck. "Besides, hickeys don't lie."

Louise laughed and nodded. "Listen to Gilmore. She's been covered in hickeys ever since she permanently attached herself to Chilton's own version of Zack Morris. Not that I blame her. She does have excellent taste."

Instead of blushing, the brunette simply beamed. "Thank you."

"So does that mean you and Tristan are doing it?" Madeline asked bluntly.

"No," Rory answered quickly.

"But you're thinking about it?" Paris asked, intrigued. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Rory and Tristan were completely hot for each other. She'd seen them sneaking out of classrooms between periods, disheveled and happy. After yesterday, she wished Jess went to Chilton solely for the chance that they could enjoy stolen moments in abandoned classrooms as well. Suddenly the distance between Hartford and Stars Hollow seemed to expand.

"I am," Rory replied evenly, coloring a little. "He definitely is."

"Poor guy," Louise murmured sympathetically. "It must be very hard."

"_Dirty_!" Madeline giggled and ignoring the stares of their classmates, the girls dissolved into a fit of giggles. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"I told him to come home right after school let out," Liz complained to Luke, ringing her hands together as she glanced out of the diner, for signs of her son. It was almost ten o'clock and Jess hadn't showed up or even called. "Where the hell could he be?"

Luke put the coffee pot back in its place and heaved a sigh. "It's not the first time he's stayed out this long. It's the first time in a long time but you know how easy it is for kids to fall back into old habits." 

"Don't patronize me, Lucas," she replied glaring at him.

"Look," he said edgily. "This is what he does when faced with authority, especially when the authority hasn't been around for more than the two years. He rebels. Something gets too tough and he bolts. It must run in the family."

Liz buried her face in her hands, ignoring his last comment. She lowered herself on the stool near the counter, giving her feet the rest they'd been begging for all day. "God, this is so fucked up."

"Yeah, well, parenting usually is." 

"I'm trying Luke," she responded, resignedly. "I just don't know what to say to make him listen anymore."

Luke watched her wearily for a minute before crossing his arms over his chest. "How about the truth? You owe him that much."

Liz met his eyes and nodded slowly. "And what about you? What do I owe you?"

He shook his head, looked away, needlessly running a rag over the counter. "You don't owe me anything, Liz. You're family. I have to take care of you even if I don't like it."

"Always noble," she murmured, laughing a little. "Did that come from dad or mom? Both I guess. If they had lived, they'd be proud of you and disappointed in me."

"If they had lived, a lot would be different." Luke wiped his hands on his jeans and studied his sister's face. "You'd still have gone off with Jimmy, though. Never had your head on straight when it came to him, did you?"

Her smile was sad, full of regret. "You're probably right. But I'd still have Jess, wouldn't I? That's something to be happy about, isn't it?"

Before he could reply, the chimes pierced through the silence and they both looked up to see an apprehensive Lorelai Gilmore standing at the door. Luke stiffened and Liz shifted in her stool as she gave the other woman a lopsided smile.

"Is this is bad time?" she said, looking between the two siblings. "I saw the two of you in here and I wanted to talk and I thought maybe I could get a coffee. But now I'm sensing tension so maybe I should just go. And get a coffee to go?"

"Sure," Liz said as she slid off the stool when Luke didn't say a word. "Stay. Have coffee. Luke, fill 'er up."

Her brother glared at her but then turned to get a mug anyway. Lorelai smiled warily but walked over to the counter and rested her purse on the top. "How are you, Liz?"

"Going out of my mind," she admitted. "Jess was supposed to come home right after school." Lorelai furrowed her brows and then bit her lips as if debating something. "What?" Liz prodded.

"It's just that Rory said something about him being over at the Gellar mansion."

She cursed under her breath as Luke filled coffee for Lorelai, both of them avoiding eye contact. "I should have known."

Just then, the door swung open again and Jess walked in looking particularly pleased with himself. As he caught sight of the adults, his smile turned into a mocking scowl. "Well, isn't this uncomfortable."

Liz crossed her arms over her chest. "Where were you, Jess? I asked you to come home as soon as school let out."

Jess shrugged, jaw set determinedly. "I never said I would. And for future reference, this whole concerned parent thing is not really your shtick so maybe you should quit while you're ahead." 

"Hey," Luke snapped at him before Liz could say anything. "Don't take that tone with her, Jess." 

Betrayal flashed through his eye as he stared at his uncle before scoffing, "Whatever. I'm going upstairs."

"Like hell you are," Liz protested as she blocked his path to the stairwell. "You and I are going to have a serious talk, Jess Mariano. Without that humongous chip on your shoulder. Whether you like it or not. Do you understand me?"

"No I don't," he retorted, his anger so vividly sculpting his face, for a minute Liz was sure it was Jimmy standing in front of her rather than her son. "I never have. We've already had this argument before and I don't want to relive it."

Liz shook her head. "Well, that's tough."

Jess looked like he was going to punch something. Part of her worried that he wished it was her. "You ship me off to live in some crazy-ass town with an uncle I barely knew, you never called and you didn't care and now you come back and then act like some kind of mother? Well, here's a newsflash for you, _Liz_. I don't need you here. So just go back to Brooklyn and stay there. I'm just fine here in Hells Hollow. You conscience is clear."

This time, neither Liz nor Luke was fast enough to stop him from turning around and running out of the diner, slamming the door shut behind him. The diner was once again enveloped in silence as the three adults, stood awkwardly in the wake of teenage anger. 

"I should go after him," Liz said finally, glancing at Luke.

"Liz," Lorelai said softly. "I think you should let him cool off."

Luke looked torn. "He might do something stupid."

"Then I'll go look for him." Brother and sister looked at her, aghast. She chuckled nervously. "Consider it my good deed act of the day. I have to make up for stealing a couple of towels from the Holiday Inn in Boston a couple of months ago."

Once she was gone, Liz looked at her brother wearily. "That went well."

Luke sighed, giving her a rare, encouraging smile. "It's an uphill battle, Elizabeth."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The reflection that he saw in the water next to him was not who he expected it to be. In fact, when she sat down next to him he was sure he had never been more surprised. He glanced sideways at her, to make sure that she was really there and then when she glanced back at him her, he sighed heavily. 

"Hey."

"Hey," he replied quickly, lifting his head to scan the woods. "What are you doing here?"

Lorelai shrugged, rubbed her hands over her the material of her jeans. "Don't know."

"Huh." Jess pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket and offered her one. She looked at him dubiously and before he had a chance to retract his hand, she reached over and pulled one out. His hand traveled back to his pocket and he pulled out a lighter, holding the flame in front of her. She leaned in; lit the cigarette. "I didn't know you smoked."

She exhaled and then sputtered a bit. "I don't. Now, I remember why."

He felt his lips curve into an involuntary smirk. As Lorelai stubbed out her cigarette, he lit his own and took his first drag. It was weird; cigarettes didn't have the same calming effect he remembered. Or maybe it was just because of the woman sitting beside him that his nerves were still frayed. He didn't think he could handle fighting with someone else tonight, which was bound to happen if Lorelai hung around too long. 

"Are we supposed to talk or something?" 

"It's a possibility." She folded her hands on her lap and looked at him expectedly. "I mean, I have ears and you have a mouth. A very rude mouth, especially where I am concerned, but I'll cut you some slack after what happened back there."

"I don't need your kindness," he scoffed, taking another drag of his cigarette. 

"Look Jess," she started gently, ignoring his comment. "I know I'm not your girlfriend's mother anymore and that I'm not even your uncle's girlfriend and we don't have any ties now, but take it from someone who's been there – pushing people away, especially people who are trying to get back in…it never ends pretty." 

Because he didn't want to hear it, especially not from her, he let out a breath and lifted the cigarette to his mouth again. "Well thanks for your infinite wisdom, Ms. Gilmore."

"Cut the crap, Jess," she stated, that infamous Lorelai temper present in her voice. He suppressed a wry grin; the cordiality hadn't lasted long. "I'm trying to help here."

He shrugged and looked out into the water. "I didn't ask you too. You came here in hopes of scoring some brownie points with Luke, to get back in his good graces or whatever hell kind of game you're playing with him…so don't make this about some Good Samaritan act." 

She drew in a sharp breath and crossed her arms across her chest, her back straightening rigidly. "Wow. I can't even remember what compelled me to come here." 

"Must be a lapse in sanity."

"You can't keep doing this forever, Jess," she said after a pause. "I mean, sure, you don't like me so it's okay to snap at me and insult me. I won't shed tears over it and I won't lose sleep over it."

"Good to know."

"Unfortunately my daughter has this unhealthy attachment to you," she plowed on, her voice rising a little. "She'll take your cruel words and she'll still try to push back and get to you. And so will Paris." 

He knew it was true; hated her for reminding him. But mostly he just hated himself. "Don't Lorelai." 

"Liz is trying," she continued, her voice softening a little. "She's trying to reach out to you and be a mother." 

"The phrase 'too little, too late' comes to mind, along with a few profanities I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate," he stated, stubbing out the cigarette. No way was it going to relax him now. "And since when do you know anything about Liz Mariano?"

"I'm a mother, aren't I?" Lorelai teased lightly. "Besides, I talked to her."

"How comfy." 

Lorelai snorted. "You're so much like her and you don't even know it."

"What?"

She arched a perfect eyebrow and grinned, probably because she knew that what she said next was going to upset him. "You and Liz. You're alike. You two hardly ever laugh and on that rare occasion that you do, the corners of your eyes crinkle. You both deliver every scathing remark in that dry, sarcastic tone. You have her eyes."

"I _do_ not have her eyes!"

Lorelai's smile only widened and she shrugged. "Hey as much as I'd like to think that it is blatantly clear that Rory gets all her greatest qualities from me…there is a whole lot of Christopher in her. It's subtle but it's there. Give her another chance, kid. She _is_ your mother." 

Jess stared at his rippling reflection and sighed. "I know." 


	14. Chapter 14: Escape

**Disclaimer**: The characters (except Paris's parents) as well debate towards the end do not belong to me. They belong to Amy Sherman Palladino and the WB. The debate is from Season Two's episode _There's The Rub_.

**Author's Note**: Wow, how long has it been since I updated this? Forever, I know. What can I do, Paris and Jess weren't speaking to me. Anyway, I was out of town until Jan 1st so none of my fics were updated, which would explain my MIA status. I hope everyone had a happy holiday.

**Dedication: **To anyone who is keeping up with this fic, God bless.

Chapter 14: Escape

It was a scene she'd witnessed, been a part of really, countless times before and yet, it seemed strange to fall back into her role. It was a rare occurrence for the Gellars to have dinner, or any meal for that matter, together anymore. For breakfast Paris usually grabbed something on her way to school, had lunch at Chilton and dinner was spent with Renee, either in polite conversation, frigid silence or heated arguments. Arthur Gellar was hardly ever present; working overtime was the common excuse.

Paris didn't need a 4.0 GPA to know that that meant he was screwing his secretary.

On this particular night, when Arthur had arrived home just in time for dinner, the tension in the Gellar dining room could be cut with a knife. Paris was sure any minute Renee was going to start flinging accusations at her wayward husband that the servants would overhear - it was easy enough since Mrs. Gellar tended to shriek when she was upset.

Silently, Paris waited for the explosion, as she lifted her mashed potatoes off the plate. She planned on not letting it bother her too much; lately she had been in too good of a mood to let anything bring it down, least of all her parent's marital hi-jinks. It was surprising to find out this late in adolescence that having a boyfriend could make the rest of your life seem a little less bad. She would have focused more on that aspect of her life if she had known. Louise was right on the money with that one, who knew?

"How's school, Princess?" Arthur asked, using the childhood nickname Paris loathed because it wasn't borne out of real affection for her but rather from a need to overcompensate for all the times he had disappointed her.

Paris glanced at her mother, who barely glanced up at Arthur's question, and then smiled stiffly. "School's fine."

"And applications?"

"Fine too." Paris replied but when he kept staring at her, she sighed and continued, "Harvard, of course. Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Columbia…" she trailed off when she realized her father was barely listening as he kept glancing at his wife, waiting for the fireworks. So she finished with, "And Hartford Community College."

"Excellent," he replied absently. She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her Diet Coke. "All wonderfully prestigious schools. But you'll go to Harvard of course. Generations of Gellars have -"

"Gone to Harvard, yes, I know," Paris finished for him and this time had to check the urge to roll her eyes now that his gaze was on her. Confidently, she replied, "I'll uphold the legacy."

"Not if you keep seeing that produce boy," Renee Gellar finally piped in, raising a perfect eyebrow at her daughter before giving her husband an admonishing look. "Do you know that she's _dating_ the boy that delivers our _vegetables_, Arthur?"

Her father looked at her, a bit taken aback and then stuttered, "I wasn't aware there was a boyfriend in the picture."

"Of course you weren't," Renee stated coldly before Paris could say anything. "You'd know something if you were home, wouldn't you? If you were home you'd know that your daughter has been sneaking out of parties, and missing dinners and breaking curfews to meet some hooligan in a truck who's probably high when he brings us our vegetables!"

"Jess does not deliver produce, Mother!" Paris yelled, slamming her fork onto the table. "And he's not a hooligan and I could really care less what you or Father thinks about him and what dinners? You mean the time you spend patronizing and yelling at me while I try to eat stupid food off stupidly pretentious china?"

"Do not take that tone with me, young lady," Renee managed to get out as Arthur watched the drama unfold, saying nothing. Paris stood up angrily. "Sit back down; I don't believe I have excused you."

"Go to hell," Paris shot back.

As she climbed the stairs, two at a time, she heard her mother start in on her father, reaming him about his latest infidelity. Scowling, she stalked to her room and shut the door behind her, controlling herself enough not to slam it. She leaned against the door and took a deep, calming breath and went to retrieve her cell phone. She was midway through dialing Jess's number when she realized that he wouldn't be able to answer.

Paris wasn't sure what really happened but Rory had heard from Lorelai that Jess had a semi-huge blow-out with his mother and Luke had, for the first time ever, grounded him for his misconduct and rudeness. While Paris applauded the implementation of discipline, she wished that it wouldn't have taken away his phone privileges for a week. The school work load this particular week was heavy and she had only been able to make it to Stars Hollow once to see him, for about an hour before leaving again.

The pressure in her chest was an odd feeling; she'd never missed a boy before.

The cell phone vibrated and she glanced at the name of the caller, sighing, she held the phone to her ear. "Hey Louise."

"Do you have the assignment for Kowler's class handy?" she asked, her usually drawling tone now a desperate plea. "I _need _it. I didn't know it was due this Friday!"

"It isn't due this Friday," Paris replied, flopping down on the bed behind her. "Which genius told you that?"

"Janet Evans."

"Figures." Paris examined her fingernails. "I thought you and Madeline were going on that double date with those twins tonight."

"Maddie bailed last minute. I'm telling you, something is up with her," Louise responded with a sigh. "I thought I had the assignment so I bailed too. Anyway, what's up with you?"

"Oh nothing," she replied sarcastically. "Mother had a hissy fit about Jess because she didn't want to yell at Father about him screwing his Barbie-doll secretary. The usual Gellar drama."

"I thought he was doing the maid."

"Last month."

"Ah," Louise stated. "Want to sleep over?"

Her lips curved. Paris was grateful that Louise knew her well enough to know that she wanted to get out of her house after a debacle like that. "Give me an hour."

"Paris," her friend admonished. "We have everything you can possibly need; you're only staying the night. Pack lightly."

- & -

Liz hesitated before she sat down on the couch next to her son who was engrossed (or at least pretending to be) in a novel. Jess had been avoiding her since their knock-down drag out a week ago. It amazed her how he could find a dozen different reasons to leave the room or avoid looking at her or speaking to her even when he was grounded and confined to the apartment, the diner and the small parameter of Stars Hollow.

"Haven't you read this a thousand times before?" She tapped the cover of _On The Road_.

"I want to make sure I didn't miss anything," he shot back, not looking up from the pages instead, subtly shifting away from her.

She sighed; of course he wouldn't appreciate her raising the white flag. "Jess, we have to talk. You can't keep avoiding me forever."

"Why not? You've been avoiding me for years."

"That's not fair," she returned, knocking the book out of his hand so that it fell on the floor and closed shut.

"Life's not fair," he returned predictably, not bothering to glare at her as he reached down to retrieve the book. "I get parole in five minutes, Ma. Then I'm outta here."

"Jess, please," she stated, desperation entering her voice. "I need to tell you what happened and explain things."

"I don't want -"

She cut him off this time. "Yes, you do. That's why you're so pissed off at me, Jess." He shook his head and the telltale muscle in his jaw twitched as he reined in his anger.

Tentatively, Liz reached over and put her hand on his cheek, turning his face towards her. Reluctantly, he met her gaze. "Jess, please, let me talk to you. I need you to understand why I did what I did and I want you to stop hating me."

"I don't hate you," he responded after a pause, standing up and moving away from her. "But one conversation is not going to change anything."

"Probably not," she conceded as she stood up and came to stand behind him. "But it doesn't have to be one conversation, Jess. I'm here now. Don't you at least want to try?"

Jess turned around and shrugged. "Paris is coming over. I have to get out of this apartment."

Liz gave him a wry smile. "Fair enough. I tried to get Luke to let you free."

"Because you felt guilty?"

"Partly," she answered truthfully and crossed her arms. "And because grounding was never my style. That's probably the reason I suck at being a parent. I'm on diner duty in five minutes. Why don't you go out with Paris and we'll take a walk after you get back?"

"I might be back late," he answered, raising an eyebrow, testing.

"You still have a curfew." She mirrored his expression. "You'll be home at eleven, Jess. Then we'll go for a walk. Maybe even get some hot chocolate. After all, it's not a school night. How does that sound?"

He waited a minute and then nodded slightly, "Fine."

She smiled a little then grabbed her purse from the sofa. "Alright, I'll see you then."

- & -

Paris ran into Liz Mariano in the hallway on her way to Luke's apartment. Jess's mother gave her a smile, not too wide and not long enough to be considered friendly. She had no idea why the woman didn't like her; usually people spent at least two minutes talking to her before they went screaming for the hills. She had barely exchanged more than two words with her boyfriend's mother and yet Liz seemed wary of her from the get-go.

Well, Renee didn't like Jess either so Paris figured they were even.

"Hi Paris," Liz greeted a little too eagerly and then looked at her watch. "Perfect timing. Jess is ungrounded it about two seconds."

"Thanks."

They stared at each other for a minute, each unsure of what to say and Paris was getting tired of smiling. Liz, thankfully, broke the awkwardness. "Well, I'll be late for my shift. You have fun."

"Thanks," she repeated and then heaved a sigh of relief when Liz hurried past her and down the stairs to the diner. Squaring her shoulders, Paris lifted her hand to knock on the door of Luke's apartment when the door swung open, revealing Jess who looked like he was about to bolt out of there. Automatically, her lips curved into a smile. "Bailing out of hell so fast?"

He smirked and relaxed as he leaned against the doorframe. "Like you wouldn't believe."

"Oh I think I have a pretty good idea," she replied as she took a step closer and he brought his mouth to hers. She sighed as he cupped her face with one hand and settled into the kiss, realizing just how much she missed the feeling of his lips on hers. When he pulled away, she kept her eyes closed a little longer, loving the tingly sensation that was rapidly spreading through her entire body. When her eyes fluttered open, he was smirking again, his hand resting at the base of her neck. "Missed me, did you?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," he repeated and then kissed her again, thoroughly; leaving her insides a mess of needs. Although they had decided to go out, Jess pulled her inside as he continued to kiss her neck, his arms coming around her waist.

"I thought we were leaving," she murmured breathlessly, tangling her fingers in his hair and kicking the door shut behind her.

"In a bit," he returned before covering her mouth with his again. Paris pulled him closer, pressing her body against his so there was nothing between them and kissed him back with equal fervor.

Still kissing and now groping, they managed to make it into the middle of the room. His hands slid under her jacket and pushed the material away, letting it fall to the floor. Then they skimmed under the hem of her shirt, softly caressing the skin of her back; spreading fire across her skin. The back of Jess's knees hit the sofa and they tumbled onto it causing Paris to laugh a little as he groaned beneath her. She was very much aware of their positioning, her knees were straddling his legs and she could feel his arousal pressing against her stomach. It was surreal but she'd gotten used to the intimate feeling of him so close to her own aching center quite quickly; she reveled in the power she had over him instead of freaking out like she thought she would. "Graceful."

He grinned, playing with the strands of her hair with one hand while the other rested at her side and gently kneaded the skin. "Well, I was preoccupied."

His lips returned to the sensitive spot on her neck as she caught the title of the book he must have been reading on the coffee table. "_On The Road_. Jack Kerouac."

"You've read it," he asked against her skin.

"A tragic waste of paper," she stated, closing her eyes.

Jess stopped kissing her and his eyes widened with incredulity. It was an interesting thing to witness; Jess was rarely shocked or surprised by anything. "I can't believe you just said that."

She shrugged, determined to keep her ground. If there was anything she was confident, even arrogant about it was her debating skills. "Well, it's true; the Beat's writing was completely self-indulgent. I have one word for Jack Kerouac – edit."

"It was _not_ self-indulgent," Jess argued, as he sat up from under her, balancing on his elbows. "The Beats believed in shocking people, stirring things up."

Paris rolled her eyes, pressed her palms on the cushions under him to keep herself at eye level with him. "They believed in drugs, booze, and petty crime."

He looked at her oddly and she could tell he was trying to come up with another way to convince her. "Well, fine. Then you can say that they exposed you to a world you wouldn't have otherwise known. Isn't that what great writing's all about?"

Well, he did prove to be quite an excellent debater himself. _He could quite possibly be the perfect guy_, she mused even as her mind formed a rebuttal. "That was not great writing. That was the National Enquirer of the fifties."

It was his turn to roll his eyes and fell back against the couch, hands resting lightly at her sides. "You're cracked."

Paris shook her head and settled against him again. "Typical guy response. Worship Kerouac and Bukowski, God forbid you'd pick up anything by Jane Austen."

His head came up again. "Hey, I've read Jane Austen."

_Oh yes_, she thought holding back a smile. _Just perfect_. "You have?"

"Yeah," he stated and then added glibly, "and I think she would've liked Bukowski."

"Cute." She grinned and kissed him before pushing herself up and tugging him along with her. "C'mon, let's get some fresh air."

"I kinda liked what we were doing right now," he stated as she picked up her jacket from the floor.

"I thought you said that if you didn't get out of Stars Hollow you'd go insane."

"That was before," he responded vaguely, even as he followed her out.

She rolled her eyes and called over her shoulder, "I'm buying."

"Well, if you put it that way." He smirked, pulled her back to kiss her once more and then followed her out, closing the door behind him.


End file.
